


The Uncommon Few

by TheCasualKoala



Series: A Light in the Dark [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 3, Fallout 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama & Romance, F/M, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, Tags May Change, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-11-18 16:58:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11294868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCasualKoala/pseuds/TheCasualKoala
Summary: After being exiled from the Capital Wasteland, Taylor and Charon arrive in the Commonwealth amidst a great threat.  Change has affected the two of them but their bond transcends the anguish of the unjust world.  Together, they heal from the past, form new alliances, and ignite a new revolution.





	1. Chapter 1

Introduction:

 

A strong wind swirled over the flat expanse of sand, sky, and road that seemed to stretch on forever. But as it continued on, bones of shrubs and dead husks of trees started to sprout along the roadside and the supports of a large but battered green sign ground out a low screech against the hot gust. Three arrows pointed downwards and large white letters read.

“ENTERING BOSTON: EST. 1630”

In the distance, the Wasteland sun glinted over the ruins of a prodigious city. Sand swished around two figures, one tall and the other small, stopped in front of the sign. They paused for a moment, quietly turning their heads to one another. Then they continued forward, following the ticking sounds coming from a computer on the smaller figure’s arm...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor and Charon arrive in the Commonwealth.

Taylor Clarke stood on a large roll of land, looking out before the great city that lay miles away. Her dark hair tumbled to the small of her back, the ends tipped light from the sun. Her skin was a deep tan now and pink bubblegum cracked between her white teeth. Her body, though slim was tight with definition, yet her round face still betrayed youth. She wore a green army jacket, black jeans, and short, laced brown boots that were caked with mud. Dark circles rimmed underneath her clear, green eyes, whispering stories of long nights. Gone was the child who had crawled out into the world so long ago, alone and afraid. It wasn’t often anymore that she thought of fate and destiny being things that led the path of her life. Not unless she looked at him…

Charon sat a few feet away, behind her, one leg drawn up, the other straight out. He struck a match and blew smoke out of his mouth. A grey long-sleeved shirt clung tightly to his strong frame and remnants of ballistic armor were strapped across his shoulders, chest, back, arms, and legs. Pieces of his blood red hair swiped across the bridge of his missing nose and below his downcast ice blue eyes. He was as handsome as the day she had met him and her heart jumped in spite of herself.

“You are staring.” he pointed out without looking up. 

“Yes I am.” she replied, unapologetically. He smiled, one side of his mouth sliding up in the way she found irresistible. He got up and walked to her. He still stood so tall that she had to look up at him. He reached out and touched her face gently, his rough thumb stroking against her smooth, soft cheek. Her dimples peeked out. It was one of his favorite things about her, as if he could name just one. 

“I’m so glad you’re here with me.” she told him.

“Sugar,” his smile widened, “there is no place I’d rather be.

***

When they had arrived within the outskirts of Boston, the sky was already dark and it had grown cold from the absence of the blazing sun. Taylor stumbled further, dizzy with fatigue. Her eyelids burned when she blinked and her calves screamed in ache with each step she took. Phantom pain had flared up in the curve of her back where the artificial nerves of her cybernetic arm were deeply embedded in her spine. She winced, trying to roll out the tension with her fingers. Without a word, Charon slung one of her arms across his shoulders, sliding one of his hands across her back and the other under her knees. He lifted her into his arms with ease, as if she were a small child, and began to walk again. Usually, she would fuss about being strong enough to handle herself but they had been walking for days and nights on end and she didn’t have the right mind to argue with him.

“I’m sorry.” she mumbled.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” he said. “Is it your arm?”

“Mm. It’s acting up again.” Taylor replied, massaging the skin that connected to the prosthetic. 

Charon’s mouth pressed into a grim line.

“We need to find a place to bed down.” 

“But we’re almost there.” she whined.

“Taylor.” he chastised.

“Yeah, alright. Fine.” she rolled her eyes. Charon shook his head. Even bordering on exhaustion she was as stubborn as ever. They made their way south, carefully treading over the rocky terrain until they spotted a grouping of cars in front of a large, dark screen. A modest building stood behind the cars. It looked about as safe as they were going to get for how late it was. Charon carried her inside, expecting a fight. But the place was quiet aside from the groaning of the ancient cars outside. He went up a set of stairs and gingerly lay her down on an abandoned mattress. She curled up on her side and he lay down behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to quell her shivering.

“You’re too good to me.” she told him and he pressed a kiss into her long, sweet-smelling hair. 

“I think you’ve got it the other way around.” he replied. They did not talk for a long while and he had thought she had drifted off to sleep. But then she spoke.

“Hey, Charon.”

“Mmm?”

“We’re a long way from home…”

He didn’t answer for several moments. He looked through an opening in the ceiling, at the billions of stars peering through. He knew that they were the same stars but he missed looking at them through the slats in the ceiling of their little shack in Megaton that they had left behind long ago. He missed their friends, the people he would now unashamedly call family. He missed the times of having nowhere to go and no one to be. 

“I can never go back.”

“We.” she corrected him. “The two of us can’t go back.”

“If it weren’t for me, it would all be different. I could have saved her… if I was quicker, I could have saved her.” he closed his eyes.

“Charon,” Taylor turned and faced him, “as much as we wish it, there is nothing that can change what happened in the Capital. We couldn’t know. We did the best we could with what we had but it was never enough. I’m tired of running. I want to be normal. I want us to live. What we are doing now isn’t living.” 

“If I am with you, it doesn’t matter.” he pressed his lips against hers, “We will be okay.”

The bickering of wild dogs reverberated in the distance. They listened to the sounds and remembered.

“I miss him.” Taylor choked, hot tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

“I do too.” Charon said, kissing her tears. “I miss him too.”

“He was such a good dog… my best friend…he was with me from the day I walked out of that vault alone… but…-” she was unable to finish the sentence because the aching of her heart and the loss became real to her once again. 

Charon just held her, gently rocking her, his warm heartbeat the only comfort she had felt in the years since they left the Capital. She had never been good at bottling things up and pretending because she knew sooner or later, her world was bound to come crashing back down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor and Charon hide from a past threat.

The moon was still visible as the first pink streaks of dawn began to lighten the sky. Taylor stirred, her back stiff from the hard mattress. She reached for Charon, patting a large divot in the mattress. She lifted herself up, running her fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp. She desperately wanted a hot shower but in the time that they had been traveling, that was a blue moon luxury. Taylor sighed, inhaling a smoky smell. She tottered up off the mattress, walking down the stairs and pushing open the door of the building. Charon was seated on the ground near a fire he had built, cooking some yao guai meat that they had stored. A couple of tatos were roasting on the hot coals beneath the fire. 

“Good morning.” Charon’s ice blue eyes flickered up at her. “How did you sleep?”

“The same.” Taylor replied. “How about you?”

“Fine.” he said but the way he slid his hand across his eyes gave away to her that he was beyond tired. They didn’t need a place to bed down. They needed a home. Taylor crossed over and sat down next to him. Charon carefully pulled the yao guai steaks and the tatos from the fire. He slid them onto two plates he had scavenged from the cupboards in the building.

“Be careful.” he told her, handing her a plate. “It’s very hot.”

“Thank you.” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder. They ate in peaceful silence for a bit. Taylor looked around at the abandoned cars and the giant blank screen behind them.

“What is this place?” she asked, pulling her army jacket tight around her to warm herself from the morning chill.

“It used to be a drive-in.” Charon said. “You could take your car here and they’d project a film onto the screen.”

“What kind of films?” she questioned, tearing her steak into long strips.

“Probably all kinds, I think.” Charon pondered, licking his fingers. “The only one I ever saw was a horror movie. It was about a vampire. It was actually pretty scary.”

“Really?” she snorted.

“Oh yeah, I shit you not. I’m sitting there watching this one part: the lead girl in it is getting ready for bed and then this tall shadow of this man glides up the stairs. His fingers were so long and thin, like twigs as he pushes open the door.” Charon turned to Taylor, who was engrossed in the story, her green eyes wide. “He’s got these pointy ears and long fangs. The girl can’t move because she’s so scared and the vampire gets closer, and closer, and closer… and then…”

Suddenly, Charon grabbed her and nibbled the space between her neck and her shoulder, the sharp points of his teeth lightly grazing her. She yelped and squealed in laughter, trying to push him away playfully. 

“Sorry.” Charon pulled away, grinning deliciously. “Can’t help myself around you sometimes.” 

Taylor blushed, her dimples peeking out and her long eyelashes fanning across her cheeks as she closed her eyes. God, she was beautiful. So fucking beautiful. How or why she could feel the same was beyond him but the way she felt was staring him dead in the face, in the pink of her cheeks, the bright white of her smile, in the clear, lush green of her eyes. He knew it couldn’t be possible but here he was, falling deeper in love with her everyday that they beat the odds in the big bad world. 

Suddenly, Charon heard something. He stopped, abruptly standing and listening. His eyes darted around, scanning the terrain, and she couldn’t tell what he was looking for.

“What?” Taylor asked. “What is it?”

“Something’s coming.” he quickly doused the small fire with a bottle of irradiated water. “We need to get inside.”

He took her hand and they slipped back into the building, watching outside from the corners of one of the windows. A loud, droning sound thundered as it drew closer. They looked to the sky and Taylor had never seen anything like what she saw in her life. A massive airship sailed slowly across the dark navy sky, white headlights swiveling in all directions. Smaller vertibirds flanked the airships, blades chopping through the cold dawn.

“Oh my God.” Taylor breathed.

“PEOPLE OF THE COMMONWEALTH.” a large voice resonated from the airship’s intercom, “DO NOT INTERFERE. OUR INTENTIONS ARE PEACEFUL. WE ARE THE BROTHERHOOD OF STEEL.”

“Fuck.” Charon snarled through clenched teeth. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

“They’ve found us.” Taylor crawled back from the window, glancing nervously at Charon. “What are we gonna do?”

“They don’t know we’re here.” Charon reassured her. “We’ve just gotta blend in. We need a place to lay low for a while. We can’t stay here.”

As they waited for the airship to disappear from the horizon, Taylor pulled a glove over her cybernetic left hand and rolled the sleeve of her army jacket all the way down. No one could afford to know who they really were. Especially not when the Brotherhood of Steel was dropping in for a visit.

***

They entered the city with their guard up and their guns hot. The sun glinted off the tall buildings and skyscrapers. They crossed alleyway after alleyway, trying to find their way through the maze of the city. They walked alongside a large structure and Taylor looked up, curious. It had green embellishments and a diamond had been spray painted on the brick surface with an arrow pointed left. They rounded the corner and Taylor saw the statue of a man with a bat before Charon gently but swiftly pulled her back. 

A slender young woman in a red coat and a newsboy cap pounded angrily on the door. 

“Goddamnit, Danny! You can’t just leave me out here, I live here!”

“Ms. Piper, I’m sorry, I can’t do anything about it. McDonough’s off the handle about your latest article. I can’t let you in.” a voice came in over the intercom. 

“Aghhh!” she gave the door a good kick.

“She seems upset.” Taylor whispered.

The woman’s head craned in their direction. Charon pressed her back further, out of view.

“Hey.” the woman called. “You know I can see you, right?”

“Shit.” Charon hissed.

“Are you spying on me?” the woman stomped over to them. “Who the hell do you think you are…”

She stopped in front of them, going quiet. Charon stared her down, blocking Taylor from her curious gaze. 

“We are not spying on you.” he said stoically. 

“So what are you doing then?” the woman asked.

“Nothing.” he answered.

“Doesn’t look like nothing. Looks more like trouble.” the woman grinned. Taylor slid her left arm behind her back, took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind Charon.

“Sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you. We were just passing through. We’re just looking for a place to stay for awhile.” Taylor offered her right hand and smiled warmly. The woman looked down suspiciously down at Taylor’s hand. 

“Is your arm okay?” she asked, eyeing Taylor’s arm hidden behind her back.

“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s good.” Taylor felt her face get hot. The woman shook her hand regardless.

“I’m Piper Wright.” the woman introduced herself. Freckles were dusted across the bridge of her nose and her hazel eyes were warm and friendly. “You two running away from something?”

Taylor’s expression fell and her hand went clammy. Piper smiled brighter.

“It’s alright. We’ve all got those out to get us. I’d recommend not getting caught up in Diamond City. Bucket full of trouble that place is. I’m already on their hit list for calling out the mayor.”

“Why?” Taylor asked.

“I’m a reporter, reporter’s gotta get their hands dirty sometimes. That’s what I do, I write up some stories, expose a few goons, and my reputation around these big wigs gets tarnished some more. Doesn’t matter though, as long as the news is honest and just.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Taylor admitted. Piper tapped her index finger against her lips curiously.

“C’mon, let’s take a walk. I think I have someone who’d love to meet you.” Piper began walking away from the gate so Taylor and Charon followed after her, intrigued.

***

 

“So, what’s the story with your arm?” Piper asked as they walked together. 

Taylor's body hunched up but she stayed silent. Charon briefly placed his hand on her shoulder, rubbing a few soothing circles into it before dropping his hand.

“It’s okay, I’m not gonna report it or anything.” Piper reassured her. “I’m just curious.”

“Sorry.” Taylor apologized. “We’ve just, uh, been through a lot. We’re not from here.”

“I can tell.” Piper observed. “It’s okay though, tons of folks come to the Commonwealth to get away from shit.”

“I don’t think you understand.” Taylor lowered her voice. “We’re- we’re being pursued.”

“By who?” Piper asked.

“The Brotherhood of Steel.” Charon spoke, startling the both of them. “They believe that I have committed treason against them.”

“Oh, shit.” Piper breathed. “Really?”

“Why? Do I look like a war criminal to you?” Charon asked darkly.

“Charon.” Taylor warned. 

“No, actually. You look like you care a great deal for your friend here.” Piper gestured.

“Yes, I do. More than a great deal.” Charon growled. Taylor flashed him a disapproving look. As much as she didn’t want to give herself away, Piper was very easy to open up to, apparently even for Charon.

“Now there’s the truth.” Piper snapped her fingers. “I know the Brotherhood. They’ve got a massive amount of power but no brains to back it. They’ve let their egos become so inflated that they cannot see the real problem going on in the Commonwealth. And that is that there is no sense of unity. We need to come together to be strong but we are divided… now more than ever.”

Slivers of memories cut through Taylor’s mind. Running through the dark tunnels of the Jefferson Memorial. The distorted armor of Enclave soldiers. The click of Autumn’s anti-armor pistol. The blood turning black beneath the plate of Sarah’s armor. The tearful, angry faces. The lightening that split the sky. 

“Agh!”

Taylor clenched her eyes shut, stumbling to the ground and pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes. Charon immediately caught her shoulders and knelt in front of her, steadying her. Piper stopped and bent down to Taylor’s level.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Taylor swiped her hands under her eyes and blinked a few times, until she could see clearly again. 

“I’m fine.” she lied. “It’s nothing.”

Charon stiffened and Taylor knew he was aware that she had not told the truth. But they couldn’t discuss it now. Not when there was so much at stake.

Charon helped her to her feet and as they continued forward, she slid her hand across his back in gratitude. She knew he would always be there. She just hoped she was able to do the same for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the comments, hits, and kudos!!  
> Send me your prompts, I will put them in the works! xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charon and Taylor meet new faces.

“Well, this is it.” Piper shrugged as they stood under a neon sign nestled under an assembly of run-down buildings. Taylor squinted up at the sign. It read:

“GOODNEIGHBOR”

She looked at Charon apprehensively but if he did share her same uncertainty, he did not show it. His shoulders were squared, his back straight, his mouth down-turned and his brow furrowed. She knew that he put on a mean front when he was facing something or someone new. Change was something he didn’t particularly look forward to, especially when they were in such weak shape. 

“Hey, it’s just Goodneighbor.” Piper chirped. “Nobody’s out for you here. I get a lot of writing done around here when I get kicked out of Diamond City.”

“This isn’t the first time they’ve kicked you out?” Taylor gaped.

“Oh, no.” Piper scoffed. “I get kicked out of there every damned month. Don’t worry, you get used to it when you’re as “troubled” as I am. Heh, I kinda wish that Diamond City would just wake up. They don’t seem to recognize trouble when they see it. But Goodneighbor? Goodneighbor’s different. It’s a good place to have a couple of drinks but an even better place to call home. If you can impress the mayor, that is…”

 

“Heh, heh, heh,” a ragged voice cackled, “Did I hear my name mentioned?”

The trio looked over at the now opened gate. A thin ghoul stood before them decked out in a long red coat, grey trousers, black boots and a tricorn hat. An American flag was looped around his narrow waist as he placed his hands upon his hips. His eyes were the color of onyx yet his smile was as bright as the Wasteland sun. 

“Hey, Pipes. Haven’t seen you around my turf in quite a while. Diamond City givin’ you trouble again?”

Piper rolled her eyes with a knowing smile and gestured to Taylor and Charon.

“I’ve brought you a couple guests, Hancock. They’re not from the Commonwealth and they are looking for shelter.”

“Aw, shucks, thanks for recommending little old me. You know that I’ve got a soft spot for strays.” Hancock’s black eyes slid over the two of them. “I bet you guys are glad Piper waltzed you over to our humble abode.”

“Yes.” Taylor said as Charon eyed the ghoul mayor cautiously. “We’re looking for a place to stay for a while. We won’t be any trouble, we swear.”

“Heh, don’t you worry none. We’re all in some type of trouble, one way or another. You’re no worse off than anyone here.” he winked, his curved mouth revealing a slight gap in his front teeth. “Welcome to Goodneighbor. Of the people, for the people, ya feel me? Everybody’s welcome…”

Charon and Taylor looked at him incredulously. The ghoul laughed at their confused expressions.

“C’mon now, I don’t bite. Allow me to introduce myself. Name’s John Hancock. I’m the mayor of this here city. And to whom am I speaking to on this lovely day in the Commonwealth?”

Charon stood tall before Hancock, his ice blue eyes intimidating but not unkind. 

“Charon.” he told the mayor, holding out his hand. Hancock gave firmly shook it.

“The ferryman of the Underworld. I dig it.” Hancock snapped his fingers.. Then he turned his black eyes to Taylor. “And look at you…”

Charon’s shoulders tensed in jealousy at the ghoul mayor’s laidback attitude towards her. Taylor took a deep breath, prepared but uncomfortable at the notion of revealing themselves to other people.

“My name is Taylor Clarke. Again, we promise we won’t be any trouble, Mayor Hancock.” Taylor said politely, holding out her right hand.

“Well, ain’t you something?” Hancock shook his head in amazement as he took her hand, “beautiful and well-mannered.” 

To Charon’s shock, the mayor placed a tender kiss upon her knuckles. Charon’s eyes narrowed and he bit his tongue, tasting sharp copper. He knew that Taylor had a certain bewitched charm but something about the confidence of this eccentric ghoul made his guts twist up. He watched wearily as Hancock and Piper chatted with Taylor but hung back, an unusual reserve pulling at him.

“…Well, we ain’t had new visitors to Goodneighbor in a hot minute.” Hancock said, “Anyway, come in, come in! I’m sure the journey here hasn’t lacked for excitement.”

“I’m gonna get some writing done and then head back to Diamond City.” Piper yawned. “Y’know blow off some steam. I hope I see you guys around.”

To Piper’s surprise, Taylor wrapped her arms around her.

“You will. Thank you. Thank you for your kindness.” she murmured. “I won’t forget it.”

Piper hugged her back. “It’s no problem, really. I’m glad to help out.”

With that, the reported walked into the gate entrance, off towards a group of people who welcomed her in with open arms and cheers. Taylor had a brief pang in her heart for Megaton. She looked over at Charon. His eyes were cast down and his jaw clicked. She slid her hand into his and he seemed to snap out of his angry expression. A slight smile crossed his face as she led them back to the ghoul mayor and their strange new home.

***

 

They walked into the Old State House, upstairs to Hancock’s suite. 

“Make yourselves at home.” Hancock said as he closed the door behind them. “Either of you thirsty?”

“Yes, please.” Taylor answered as they sat down next to one another on a sofa that faced the coffee table. Charon gave a curt nod. 

Hancock poured three glasses of scotch and handed two to his guests and took one over to the other sofa. He plopped down and sighed, bringing his feet up on the coffee table.

“So, how can I help you folks out? You let me know anything I can do. The world out there is fuckin’ brutal if you don’t got anyone to help you through shit. And trust me, I don’t leave nobody behind.”

“Well, I guess we should start with why we’re here…” Taylor began. But before she could say anymore, Charon spoke.

“We come from the Capitol. This dangerous militaristic organization called the Enclave was attempting to take over and we got caught in the middle of it.”

“Is that what happened to your arm?” Hancock observed, watching Taylor intently.

“Yes.” Taylor answered. She removed her jacket and held out her cybernetic arm, bending and spreading her fingers. Hancock looked on in extreme interest.

“That’s really somethin’. Almost looks like it was fashioned by the goddamned Brotherhood of Steel.”

Taylor and Charon exchanged glances. Hancock smiled.

“So you were Brotherhood grunts, eh?”

“No.” Charon said. “We helped them. They saved Taylor’s life but after we reclaimed the Capitol, something happened. The daughter of the Elder was killed. She was shot by the Enclave’s leader but the Brotherhood believes that I was the one who killed her. They charged me with treason and we’ve been on the run ever since. The Brotherhood is here and we need a place to hide.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place.” Hancock downed his scotch and placed his glass next to his feet on the coffee table. “We’ve got everything you could need here. This town prides itself on helping out the Commonwealth’s rejects. You’re gonna fit in here just fine. And I promise to give you my full protection.” 

“Thank you, Mayor Hancock…” Taylor’s shoulders lowered in relief. Hancock nodded nonchalantly.

“Now then, I’m supposin’ that you’re both looking for work?” Hancock asked.

“Yes.” Charon affirmed. “But not outside the city walls. We cannot risk being seen.”

“So what is it that you folks like to do?” Hancock inquired. “Got any special skills or hobbies?”

“Hmm…” Taylor thought. “Well, I like to dance.”

The ghoul mayor smiled toothily and the twisting envy emerged again in Charon’s stomach. 

“That sounds like a fine, inconspicuous profession.” Hancock chuckled, taking out a yellow piece of paper and scrawling something on it. “I got the perfect person for you. Go down to the Third Rail and ask for Magnolia. She’ll add you to the performance roster and give you some routines.”

He handed the note to Taylor and smiled. “I’ll have Charon meet you down in the Third Rail when I find him some work. Go on now.”

Charon looked longingly up at Taylor as she stood up. She bent down to his ear.

“I love you.” she whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”

She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before hurrying down the stairs and out the door of the Old State House. Hancock retrieved a pack of cigarettes from the inside pocket of his coat, offering one to Charon. Charon took it and struck a match before handing it to Hancock.

“So, how long you two been at it?” Hancock asked waggishly, waving out the match.

“Excuse me?” Charon’s brow raised. 

“Oh, c’mon.” Hancock chortled, “That little moment you two just shared? It’s kinda obvious. Painfully obvious. You’re sweet on her. And she’s sweet on you right back.”

Charon was quiet.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Hancock exhaled thoughtfully.

“Yes. With her- everything’s just…” Charon closed his eyes, trying to collect how he felt. It was suddenly so difficult to put a definition into what and how much she had made him feel. It wasn't like he'd ever tried to talk about this kind of shit to anyone who wasn't her. But something about the way the ghoul mayor listened put him at ease about how people saw the two of them. At least in this town.

“She gives you the spark of that old life you once had.” Hancock finished.

“Yes.” Charon said, the softest smile lifting his features. “She is like the old world. So pure, so beautiful. I’m afraid that one day, she’s going to disappear, just as the world did.”

“Ah, but you’re not the type of man to let that happen are you?” Hancock got up and poured two more glasses of scotch.

“No.” 

Hancock grinned and clinked his glass against Charon’s.

“To that, my friend, I’ll drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really enjoying meshing these two worlds together. Thank you so much for sticking with me! I'm sorry I haven't been good about regular updates. Your comments, kudos, and hits inspire me everyday and get me excited to write the next chapter! xoxo


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charon and Taylor attend a Goodneighbor get-together.

Taylor hopped down the steps that led to the Old State House, turning for the Third Rail. There were many people about but they all offered a friendly smile as they went about their business. She smiled back. After their exile and long period of lonely dread, she could certainly get used to some friendly faces. She was ready to live life again and live it without fear and Goodneighbor was looking like the place to do just that. 

She bounded excitedly through the door of the Third Rail. A ghoul in a tuxedo and top hat leaned against the wall. She gave him a broad, friendly smile. His hard features immediately softened.

“Excuse me, sir. I’m looking for Magnolia. Mayor Hancock told me she performs here?” she showed him the yellow piece of paper. The ghoul glanced at it.

“Sure, Miss. Any friend of the Mayor’s is a friend of the Third Rail. Right down the stairs.” 

“Thank you.” 

They exchanged a small wave and she went down the stairs that led to the bar. A group of rough looking men stood around a smaller man in a green cap and tattered overcoat, who was seated at the bar.

“…I’m here to deliver a message to you.” one of them was sneering. “A very painful message.

The men pulled the smaller man from his chair viciously.

“Hey!” Taylor shouted, standing before the group unabashedly. “Leave him alone.”

The men turned to her and leered. One of them sauntered forward.

“Mmm, look at you, baby doll.” he licked his lips. “I bet you like to play rough.”

The man thrust his brutish face toward Taylor’s. Taylor made a fist with her cybernetic arm and a large concealed blade switched out from her wrist in front of the man’s groin.

“Oh, Jesus!” the man leapt back but Taylor moved with him, keeping her wrist level between his legs.

“I suggest you get the fuck out of here.” Taylor growled.

The men took their leave but not without throwing deathly glares at her and the smaller man. 

“Holy crap.” he breathed. “Onesy!?”

Same face just different angles added. It was him alright.

Taylor’s eyes widened.

“MacCready? Mayor MacCready?” Taylor hadn’t recognized him. The last time she saw him, he had been a child in the Capital Wasteland. Now here he was, a man in the Commonwealth. 

“My god, you haven’t aged a day!” MacCready laughed in disbelief.

“I’m sorry I can’t say the same for you. The last time I saw you, you were about this big!” Taylor gestured a few feet from the ground. MacCready guffawed.

“Wow, it’s so good to have a familiar face. How the hell have you been? You still got Groucho following you around?”

“Yes. But… we didn’t leave the Capital on good terms. The Brotherhood is after us and they’ve arrived in the Commonwealth. We’re just trying to lay low for a while and find some work. That’s actually what I’m here for.”

“What in blue blazes is going on out here?” a woman’s husky voice came from around the corner. A curvaceous woman in a sparkling red gown appeared, smoking a cigarette. “MacCready, are you causing trouble again?”

“No, ma’am.” MacCready smiled sweetly. “Just catching up with an old friend. She’s looking for work I hear.”

“Well why didn’t you say so? When you’re done catching up, come back into my office and we’ll talk, honey.” the woman smiled softly at Taylor and sashayed back around the corner.

“Well, I’ll let you go talk to Mags. But hey, there’s a get-together happening tonight. You, me, and Groucho should catch up then.” MacCready piped. 

“Yeah, we’ll be there!” Taylor exclaimed.

“Alright, see you tonight! And stay safe please!” MacCready said as he went up the stairs. 

***

“Excellent! Now it’s shuffle ball change, shuffle ball change, heel step, heel step, heel step, hop! Try it, honey.”

Taylor performed the steps crisply and with flair. Magnolia applauded enthusiastically.

“I love it, I love it! You’re gonna be a hit on opening night! I think that’s a good stopping point for today.”

“Aw, already?” Taylor whined. “But it’s such a fun dance! I really can’t wait to do it.” 

“Now, now, you don’t want your feet to burn out, sweetie pie. Let’s call it a night. Party starts soon, remember?” Magnolia reminded her.

“Oh my god, I almost forgot! I’ve gotta go!” Taylor hurried to change back into her boots and sweep up her things. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning to practice.”

“Wait a second.” Magnolia walked over to her dresser, pulling out a sleeveless dress. “What do you think?”

“Oh, Magnolia, it’s lovely!” Taylor gaped. It was a soft periwinkle, made of silk.

“For you, my dear. Wear it tonight.” Magnolia held out the garment to her.

“Oh, no. I can’t wear it, I-” Taylor stammered.

“Darling.” Magnolia gave her an honest look. “Wear the damn dress. You deserve it.”

She slid the dress delicately into Taylor’s arms. 

“Thank you, Magnolia! You’re the best!” Taylor pecked her lightly on the cheek before turning to leave.

“You keep those feet moving tonight!” Magnolia called after her.

***

Charon wiped the sweat from his brow, tracking sand across his forehead. He admired his handiwork and slipped it into the pocket of his pants. He began the short walk back to Goodneighbor from the beach.

The sun was beginning to disappear as he walked, scraping dried sand from his arms, shirt, and pants. It was about twelve minutes walking distance back to Goodneighbor and the town was already busy preparing for the get-together than Hancock was holding that night. 

***

He walked into their new room in the Hotel Rexford, cradling something small in his palm for a moment. Then, he removed his damp, sand-caked armor and clothes. He showered without haste, taking time to wash out his hair and scrub down his body. He listened hopefully for the click of the door but it did not come. Though he wanted her with him always, he accepted Taylor’s absence positively for the moment. She was, no doubt, having fun at her dancing lesson, he was sure. His heart warmed for her in finding something she loved to do. She needed it.

He finished rinsing off and stepped out of the shower, toweling dry. He dressed, albeit reluctantly, in the crisp tuxedo Hancock had gifted to him. He tugged on his sleeves, straightening them. Charon hated social interactions, especially on a large scale, which Hancock had made it out like. At the same time, he knew that they needed a break. Life had felt out of control lately and it would be nice to loosen up a bit. 

He exited the room and locked the door, tucking the key and the tiny object into a pocket on the inside of the jacket. He inhaled anxiously then walked out of the Rexford. 

Night had fallen and a ripe yellow moon hung low in the sky. The town square was already filling with a copious amount of people. Charon skimmed smoothly through the crowd, searching for Taylor. She had to be done with her dancing lesson by now.

Then, he saw her. She was chatting and laughing with a girl who looked to be around her age. She turned slowly and looked to him as he walked to her, a bright smile still fresh on her features from whatever she had been laughing about. His heart nearly stopped. Her long hair was pinned back and done up in thick curls. Her bright green eyes were shimmering and lightly rimmed in black liner. Her full lips were robed in deep red, accenting her white teeth. A sleeveless silk gown clung to her petite frame, it’s powdery blue color accentuating her tan complexion. When she looked at him, her smile widened, dimples showing, and his heart melted at the mere thought that he was with her, here and now. Taylor pranced over to him, standing a bit taller in her heels but not nearly as tall as Charon. She brushed her lips lightly against his.

“There you are, handsome. I missed you.” she whispered against his mouth. Fuck, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her once this get-together was over. However, he did have a pressing matter at hand.

“You must be Charon.” Taylor’s companion smirked. “Taylor’s already told me a lot about you.” 

Charon raised an eyebrow and Taylor giggled into her palm. 

“I’m Fahrenheit.” the woman introduced herself. One side of her head was buzzed while the other side was voluminous and red. She was dressed in a tasteful black gown that tied at the back of her neck.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Charon said quietly. 

“Ain’t she a peach?” Hancock asked, strolling over to them. He planted a kiss on Fahrenheit’s cheek and whispered something in her ear, making her laugh and playfully smack his arm.

“And, sunshine,” Hancock gazed at Taylor. “that look really works for you.”

Hancock was not wrong. Charon found himself trying not to blatantly stare at her elegant beauty. She never wore makeup and Charon found her exquisite. But this? This was…

“You look gorgeous.” Charon told her. The hint of a blush fanned across Taylor’s cheeks and he wanted more than anything to taste it on her skin. 

“And you look dashing.” she reciprocated. They both smiled at each other. It was like they were meeting for the first time. Under very different circumstances. 

“Oh, man. What a love nest we have going on here.” Hancock chuckled, placing his hand against his cheek dreamily. “What do you say we get this party started, huh?” 

“Taylor.” Charon cleared his throat, his mouth dry. She looked up at him, her eyes shining. God damn it. Why was it so hard to talk to her all of a sudden. “I was wondering if you’d come for a walk with me quickly?”

“Sure, Charon!” Taylor accepted. Hancock grinned knowingly. 

“Hurry back.” he said, draping his arm around Fahrenheit’s waist. “Don’t get lost now, you two.”

“We won’t!” Taylor lilted. Charon offered his arm to her and she took it. They slipped out of the gate and he led the way up to the beach. He was quiet on the short walk, a strange expression of focus and determination on his face. She tilted her head up at him.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “You’re very quiet.”

“Yes.” Charon breathed, trying to slow down his racing heart. “I have never been better.”

“Okay.” Taylor laughed, “Now you’re just acting weird.”

They were now on the shore of the ocean. The navy waves lapped gently in the darkness, drinking in the yellow of the moon. Billions of stars danced around them. 

“We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?” Charon asked wistfully, looking up at the moon.

“Yes. But I would do it all again.” Taylor squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, then let go. He took in a lungful of salt air and exhaled sharply. Then, he knelt in front of her. 

“What are you doing?” Taylor asked curiously. Charon laughed, the sound twirling across the ocean waves. 

“I love you.” Charon told her, taking something out of his jacket. “I just want to be by your side. Forever. No matter what.”

He held his hand out to her and in it was a pearl, fastened to a small twinning of metal. It was gleaming and iridescent, capturing the color of the night around them.

“Oh my God. Charon,” Taylor’s mouth fell open. “are you asking me to get married?”

Charon nodded. 

“Yes!” she squealed, leaping into his arms. “Yes, yes, yes!”

He wrapped his arms around her, rocking her back and forth, listening to her musical laughter mixing with lapping of the ocean. He took her real hand and slid the pearl onto her fourth finger. 

“Charon, it’s beautiful!” Taylor gushed, looking fixedly at the pearl. “Where did you find it?”

“I found it today. There’s a lot of oysters here. I was opening them for a bit and one of them had it inside.” Charon explained. She pressed her lips against his and he tilted her chin so he could kiss her deeply. He poured everything he had into it, hoping she would feel even just an ounce of what she felt. When they pulled back, she was breathless and dizzy.

“Wow.” she panted. “Maybe we should just have our own party here.”

“Later.” he snickered. “C’mon sugar, let’s get back. I’m sure everyone’s missing us.”

***

When they got back to Goodneighbor, the party was fully underway. The band was playing and everyone was laughing, talking, and singing. Hancock flashed them a huge smile.

“I dig the rock, sunshine!” he called to Taylor over the crowd, winking at Charon. The two of them beamed back. 

“Now how about we get this freak show going? Ladies and gentlemen, we are the fucking free!”

Everyone cheered, including Taylor and Charon. Drinks were passed around and everyone began dancing more, talking louder, and singing higher. MacCready joined the group and he, Taylor, and Charon joked and reminisced about how much they missed listening to Galaxy News Radio. Taylor was about half a bottle of whiskey in when Hancock began passing around an inhaler of Jet. She had never tried it before but when she saw Charon take a huff from it, she threw caution to the wind and took a hit. The stars began to swirl and she giggled, absolutely giddy. 

Charon had lost track of how much alcohol he had consumed. He and Hancock began to inhale Ultra Jet and Hancock slung his arm around Charon’s shoulder. 

“You look pretty far gone.” Hancock cackled. Euphoria seeped into Charon’s veins and he looked at Taylor. She was walking in and out of his vision. 

“Who?” Charon snorted.

“You, man.” Hancock shook his head humorously. “You gotta be high out of your fucking mind.”

Something about the way Hancock pointed that out made Charon hold his sides from how hard he was laughing. He watched Taylor competing with Fahrenheit in what he guessed was a dancing competition. The crowd congregated around them, roaring in applause as Taylor twirled and twirled, like a ballerina. 

“Wow, your girl. She is something. Where’d you find her?” Hancock observed.

“I don’t know…” Charon couldn’t say. “She found me.”

“Well, shit. I personally offer my congratulations to you.” Hancock raised his glass. “She’s something special. You guys take good care of each other.”

Taylor spun right over to them, directly into Charon’s arms. He caught her but his arms were so slow and heavy to move.

“Wow!” she chortled. “I’m so dizzy!”

She looked up at Charon and his pupils were so wide and dark. 

“Maybe you should lie down.” he suggested. Then a bit quieter, in her ear. “With me.”

Her laughter was like the air on mountains. 

“Go on, guys. Go relax. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.” Hancock smiled over his shoulder as he went to speak with more of the party-goers. 

“Race ya!” Taylor shrieked and, more than tipsy, they bounded off for the Hotel Rexford.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hancock throws some lit parties. Taylor and Charon have never been to a lit party. Or do Jet. ಠ_ಠ
> 
> Thank you guys so much for all the love! You guys are fantastic and I love reading all of your comments! I'll have more soon! xoxox


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charon and Taylor come face-to-face with an old threat from the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Smut Ahead

Taylor ran up the steps of the Hotel Rexford, Charon following directly behind her. He breathed in the chilly night air and it tickled his lungs. He was high as fucking kite. Damn, it felt good to let go of the real world for a while. 

The hotel was empty because of the party which was probably a good thing considering how loud their voices and footsteps carried through the place.

“I beat you!” she gloated as she got to the door, spinning in her gown.

“Ah, but who had the key, hotshot?” he dangled the keys in front of her. They both giggled as he unlocked the door. They went inside and he locked the latch on the door. 

She kicked off her heels and walked over to the bathroom. There was a standard shower and a clawfoot tub next to it by the wall. She perched on the lip of the tub and let the water run hot. Steam began to waft from the bathroom and Charon watched her take down her hair by the mirror. As she took out the last pin, he came up behind her, draping his arms around her waist. 

“Help me with my dress?” she asked. 

He slid the delicate knot at the base of her back and she shifted out of the gown. It pooled beneath her feet and she began to help him out of his clothes. It took a long time because her fingers fumbled with every button on his shirt but finally, it came apart, revealing his bare chest. Her fingers slid the shirt from his shoulders and caressed down his chest. He shivered. Her touch was so real and so intense that he wondered how she was here right now, making him feel this way. 

His eyes ran over her face as his fingers traced across each of her eyelids, down her nose, over her red lips. He gently pressed her lower lip down, her mouth parting. He brushed his fingers through her long hair and she knew exactly what he was telling her. He didn’t need words to do it. 

She took off his pants and he unclasped her bra. They stepped out of the last of their clothes and she gingerly lowered herself into the hot water. He got in, water spilling over the side. It was scalding but felt incredible on the tears in his skin. She washed her hair, combing her fingers through it. She slipped under the water, her hair spreading around her like a mermaid. He placed his arms on both sides of the tub, watching her, as if he were looking at her in some other world as steam misted over the surface of the water. Her green eyes focused on him and she stared back through the ethereal portal of the water. Then, she lifted herself, breaking the smooth surface of the water. He took her shoulders and kissed her roughly. Her stomach fluttered, alive with every sensation as she kissed him back, pressing her body against his. He roamed over her body, licking, kissing, and biting. He pulled her onto his lap, his large hands gripping her slender hips as she grinded against him. His jaw pulsed and his eyes closed.

“I want to fuck you.” Taylor told him sweetly and he swore, teetering at the edge.

“Yes.” Charon panted. “Oh, fuck yes.”

He drew her into him and lifted her into his arms, standing up and leaving the water of the tub. He briskly toweled them off just enough so that they wouldn’t completely soak the bed. She leaned up against him, kissing him and leading him backward. The backs of his knees hit the bed and she pushed him firmly back onto it. She took up an extra sheet in her hands and bound his wrists tightly to the bed frame. She straddled him, her own hand slipping between her legs. 

“Oh, Charon.” she moaned and he was already tugging at the sheet. “Fuck me.”

“Christ.” he went mad as he took in the sight of her fingers moving against her flesh. She was hot and slick on his stomach.

“Let me.” he begged. “Please, let me.”

She looked upon him in love as she slid down on him and his head lolled back. His hands gripped the bedframe so hard that he heard the wood begin to crack. 

“Oh, Taylor.” he groaned, bucking up into her. They took their time, enjoying every touch, every movement, every expression. He tore down one of his hands to move between her legs and she moaned out his name severely. She began to tense up, her voice high and breathless. As she came, he felt her pulse hammering through her and into him. 

“I… I-” the feeling was so much that all his thoughts pooled in his mind at once and he couldn’t say anything with sense.

“Yes. That’s it. Let me hear you.” she told him gently. 

He roared her name as he came, his voice filling the room. She smiled, breathing hard, running her thumb along the sharp line of his jaw.

***

Charon blinked awake, his head splitting with a severe migraine. Blankets littered the floor and he lay at a very off angle. He looked and saw his other hand tied to the bedpost. 

“What the fuck?” he groaned. He pulled his other hand free.

Taylor stirred awake, lifting her face from his stomach. Her long hair was mussed and her body was riddled with the marks of his teeth.

“Charon.” she could barely hold her head up. “Are you okay?”

His pupils were normal size again so she guessed hers were too. 

“My fucking head.” Charon winced, draping his arm over his eyes. “Remind me not to party with Hancock anymore.”

“I’m sorry.” Taylor hung her head in shame.

“What? Why are you sorry?” Charon asked.

“I-I didn’t mean to force you into anything last night. I just-” she stammered.

“Hey.” he lifted her face to look at him. “You didn’t. Last night was fucking amazing. We’re just a bit hungover, that’s all.”

Taylor’s head flopped back down, her hair tickling his chest.

“Being hungover sucks.” Taylor whined.

Charon laughed.

“You said it, sugar.”

They lay in bed for another hour and slept some more until their pounding heads and growing stomachs could take it no more. He stood under the warm water of the shower with her, washing her hair for her. She lathered his body, then her own, in soap and they intertwined tiredly, falling into each other’s embrace. 

They reluctantly left the hot shower to put on their clothes. Taylor searched the dresser and pulled dark grey jeans, white tank top, and her combat boots back on. She draped her army jacket over her shoulders. Charon dressed in his grey long sleeved shirt, black jeans, and beat-up boots. 

“Let’s go get some breakfast. I’m sure we’ll feel better if we eat.” Charon suggested.

“Good idea.” Taylor agreed. After they got what they needed for the day and locked up, she took his hand in hers and they left the hotel. 

They walked around Goodneighbor, hand-in-hand. Charon was grateful that he could finally be in a place where they could hold hands and show affection and no one gave two shits about it. 

They sat down in Daisy’s place and the ghoul woman took one look at their tired, pitiful expressions.

“Sit tight,” she chuckled. “I’ve got just the thing.”

A few minutes later, Daisy came back with two racks of hot, greasy yao guai ribs. They smelled sweet and appetizing.

“Eat up.” she piped. “Good for a hangover.” 

They were starving, tearing into their ribs with vigor. Daisy watched them in amusement. 

“Thank you.” Taylor said gratefully, “These are delicious, aren’t they, Charon?”

“Mmm.” Charon sighed in bliss. 

“You’re very kind.” Daisy smiled. 

“We haven’t had a meal like this in a while. Being on the run and all.” Taylor explained.

“It’s a tough life out there. I was on the lam once as well. Before I came here. You can never be too careful out in the Wasteland, even out here in the Commonwealth. And the Brotherhood of Steel’s grand entrance doesn’t give me any extra reasons to sleep at night."

Taylor and Charon fully understood and agreed. But if they stayed here and laid low, they would be fine. The Brotherhood and the citizens of Goodneighbor didn’t seem like they would mesh too well anyway. 

***

For the next two months, life continued on quite uneventfully. Taylor danced in a number of performances, drawing in ever-growing crowds to the Third Rail on the weekends. Hancock had asked Charon to be his personal bodyguard and the bouncer of the Third Rail on the weekends and he agreed. Hancock paid him well and it was, by far, an easier job than the Ninth Circle had been. 

At the end of the week, Charon leaned up against the wall of the Third Rail among a crowd of people, watching Taylor dance. He always knew she had a natural talent for it and he loved seeing her so happy. In the middle of her complicated and entertaining routines, she would often wink and blow a kiss at him and even though the men around him argued over who she had meant it for, he knew it was for him. 

He watched her attentively as she danced around the room while Magnolia sang an upbeat tune. Her pale pink costume shimmered and billowed, the tan skin of her sides visible through the cut-outs on it. The clacking of her shoes highlighted Magnolia’s expert rhythm. She could rival even Fred Astaire himself. 

As Taylor brought her foot down to the floor, tapping out another step, a loud pop rang off. Taylor stopped dancing, stunned. The Third Rail became silent. Charon immediately looked to the source of the sound. A man with in an orange uniform held a pistol to the ceiling. 

“No one move.” the man ordered. “By the authority of Elder Maxson and the Brotherhood of Steel.”

Shit! Charon’s mind raced. In chaos, people began shouting and running. Brotherhood soldiers began pouring down the stairs. 

“Run!” Charon grabbed Taylor’s hand and they tore out of the Third Rail’s downstairs exit. 

“STOP!” one of the soldiers shouted pounded after them. Charon held tightly onto Taylor’s hand as they sprinted down an alley, taking wild and twisting turns. His heart hammered in his chest. They needed to get the fuck out of there. 

Suddenly, a black cord winched around Charon’s ankle, snapping back and pulling him to the ground. He fell hard, the hard rock of the ground cutting his cheek. Another Brotherhood soldier came up behind Taylor, grabbing her roughly under the arms as she kicked frantically. 

“No! Let me go!!” she cried. 

The soldier who had fired the cord began dragging Charon backward. 

“Charon!!” Taylor cried. She began to make a fist with her cybernetic arm. He knew what that meant and what would happen. He shook his head at her desperately. 

Don’t do it. He told her with his eyes. She relented, her cybernetic arm falling to her side unwillingly. 

More soldiers flooded the alleyway. One stepped out from the group, taller and bigger. He stopped in front of Charon and removed his helmet. A scar ran down his eyebrow. He had deep brown eyes, a prominent brow, and a light beard. 

“You are both under arrest by order of Elder Maxson of the Brotherhood of Steel for evasion, murder, and high treason.” he declared authoritatively. “You will receive a just trial and will be held accountable for your actions.”

He craned his head toward his squad.

“Take them to the Prydwen. Elder Maxson will be most pleased to see these criminals brought to justice.” 

Taylor struggled fiercely, trying to kick and bite as they cuffed her wrists together. She looked at Charon as the Brotherhood soldiers lifted him to his feet. He didn’t fight them. When they cuffed his wrists together, his arms just hung limply in front of him. 

How could he have been so fucking stupid. To think that the Brotherhood would never find them. Of course they would find them. They were the type that would always be found. They got fucking rusty because he wanted to settle down with her. He gave up. He was done fighting, done hiding. If the Brotherhood wanted him to face justice, he would take it all for her. It was his fault they were in this, not hers. 

The soldiers shoved Charon and Taylor onto a vertibird and it whirred up into the clouds, where the Prydwen waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun DUNNNN!!
> 
> Thank you so much for all the encouragement and love for this story! You guys inspire me every day. Hope you guys enjoy! xoxox


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor and Charon face the fury of the Brotherhood's new Elder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Torture and Violence Ahead

The vertibird docked on the first deck of the monstrous airship. The soldiers pushed Taylor and Charon roughly onto the platform. Taylor stumbled in bare feet onto the rickety dock, her breath locked in her chest. A man, flanked by two Brotherhood paladins, stood on the platform with his hands clasped behind his back. They could both guess who he was. No one said a word as Elder Maxson slowly walked over to them, his footsteps clinking on the metal. His battlecoat swished in the high altitude wind and finally he settled before them. His head was shaved on both sides and the rest was slicked back militaristically. His brow was furrowed over his grey eyes. The corners of his mouth turned up under his thick beard and something about his expression unsettled Taylor. It was the face of a man who was not entirely sane. 

“The girl from 101 and her ghoul.” Maxson observed. “You are a long way from home.”

He turned around and the soldiers led Taylor and Charon inside the Prydwen. They entered a large room with windows on all sides. Elder Maxson pointed to Charon and they forced him down on his knees in front of the Elder. The other soldier held Taylor off to the side. 

“So, you thought you could outrun the Brotherhood?” Maxson asked. “No one can outrun what you did. You are going to tell me what happened that day. You see, I’ve learned some interesting things about you, Chance O’Leary.”

“That is not my name. Not anymore.” Charon growled.

“Hm. You’re absolutely right. A thing like you doesn’t deserve to have a name. You are a liar and a murderer. Even before Sarah.” Maxson spat. 

Charon narrowed his eyes.

“When Raven Rock was destroyed, we found this.” Maxson took a manila folder from one of his soldiers and opened it. Inside was the file that Autumn had created when Charon became prisoner to the Enclave. A picture of his human self stared out with soulless eyes. Every dark deed, every person he had been forced to murder was on that piece of paper. 

“Men, women, children…” Maxson shook his head. “You’ll kill anyone, won’t you? Even a Sentinel of the Brotherhood of Steel.”

Charon said nothing as he stared at the Elder. Maxson inhaled sharply and crossed over to Taylor. He removed a pistol from within his coat and pressed it up under Taylor’s chin. The crowd in the room began to murmur nervously. 

“Stop!!” Charon pleaded.

“Tell me what happened to Sarah Lyons that night or you will see the contents of her head.” the Elder demanded.

“She was killed.” Charon stated, the memory of her high, gurgling laughter haunting him.

“By who?”

“Autumn.” Charon said honestly.

“Then why didn’t the Brotherhood come upon the body of this man?” Maxson asked dangerously. Charon’s eyes widened. What the fuck did he mean, there was no body?

“Do you not remember?” Maxson questioned, walking back over to Charon. “Maybe I can help you remember.”

Maxson brought his steel boot down onto Charon’s right leg. The snap was audible. The scream that ripped from Charon’s throat was not human. The bone white was visible, protruding through the leg of his pants as blood darkened around it. No one was quick enough to see that Taylor had slipped from the soldier’s grip. She rushed at Maxson with all her might, making a fist with her cybernetic arm and slashing her hidden blade across his face. 

Maxson staggered back, clutching his face, blood pouring through his fingers. He stopped for only a moment to stare at the blood in his palm before he stomped towards Taylor in a rage. 

“It’s me that you want!!” she shouted. “I killed Sarah Lyons, she was shot in my place!!”

Maxson grabbed Taylor by the throat and threw her across the floor. She tumbled roughly.

“Taylor!!” Charon tried to crawl against the pain of his leg but a soldier had his foot pressed onto it so he couldn’t move.

Maxson dragged her up by her hair, making her stand. 

“Remove your clothes. Now.” Maxson ordered.

Taylor stared him down defiantly.

“This is your last chance.” he warned. Taylor stood her ground. 

“Very well.” 

He waved his hand and Charon watched in horror as two soldiers stepped forward, ripping her thin costume from her body as if it were tissue paper, casting it aside, leaving her naked before the room. 

“Elder Maxson…” the paladin from the alley stepped forward. “With all due respect, I don’t think that this behavior will help-”

“She is my prisoner and I will treat her as such. I will hear no more of it, Paladin Danse.” Maxson picked up the garnment, shifting it between his fingers predatorily. The paladin’s eyebrows arched conflictedly but he said no more. 

Taylor faced Maxson unashamed. She would not give him the satisfaction. Maxson’s eyes roamed over her body and felt a small shiver go up her spine in fear.

“You need to be taught respect.” Maxson told her coldly. One of his soldiers brought him a pool cue. He snapped it in two, throwing the short end to the side.

“You’re going to count. Or I will have your ghoul shot.”

Charon heard the click of a pistol hammer next to his temple. 

Maxson walked around her and her shoulders tensed. 

WHACK

It hurt more than she could’ve imagined. A sharp gasp escaped her throat and she stumbled forward slightly from the force of the blow. She locked eyes with Charon and did not look away.

“One.”

WHACK

The sting was even more unbearable with the second strike. Angry tears rolled numbly down Charon’s face.

“Two.”

WHACK

She felt her skin break and her knees crumpled. Some of the soldiers began to grow visibly uncomfortable.

“T-Three.”

WHACK

Each strike was more violent, more brutal than the last. Charon silently begged her to give up, even if it meant the exchange of his life for her to be spared. But Maxson wouldn’t have it. He relished in the physical cruelty of breaking Charon from the inside out. Through Taylor. She made it to fifteen until she couldn’t form words anymore. She fell to the ground and lay curled into herself, shuddering and crying as Maxson stood over her, satisfied in her humiliation. Her back was horribly disfigured, the broken purple flesh oozing crimson blood. He bent down to her ear. 

“I am your God now.” he whispered softly. “And you are nothing.”

He uncurled her cybernetic arm from her chest and stamped down on it. She sobbed out in agony. The arm was now a mess of broken wires and mangled metal. 

“Get them out of my sight.” Maxson demanded. 

They were taken down into the bowels of the ship, where the holding cells were. Pipes hissed and rattled in the dark as Charon and Taylor were thrown into two different cells, separated by a grate. 

Charon dragged himself over to the grate, trying to reach for her. His fingers accidently grazed her back and she began wailing.

“I’m so sorry, Taylor.” he rasped, his shoulders shaking, wishing that he could do anything for her pain. “I’m so sorry.”

“Charon.” her raw voice trembled as she said his name. “Who are we anymore?”

***

It was so dark inside the holding cells that Charon could no longer tell if it was still nighttime anymore. He tried not to lose tack of time, counting to keep himself levelheaded. How the fuck were they going to get out of here? It wasn’t like they could just run out the door. They were miles and miles in the sky with the only direct way down being a vertibird.  
Charon pressed himself against the grate so that Taylor could get warm from his body heat. He took special care not to touch her bloodied back. Her skin had broken open in a number of places, making it excruciating to bend or move. She lay naked on her side, facing Charon’s cell, as close as she could physically get. Her right hand was ice in his through the grate. Her cybernetic arm convulsed, writhing disturbingly from the severed contact with her spine. She desperately needed medical attention. He didn’t have anything for her pain so he did his best to keep her warm and alert. 

His leg seared in pain and his whole self burned with hatred for Maxson. Charon remembered him. He had been a squire the day Sarah died. He remembered the boy’s wild eyes, his pointing finger, his gnashing teeth. Charon had felt sorrow for him on that day. He’d lost someone he deeply loved. The loss had devoured him, stripped the boy he was from his bones, far too early, and laid the foundation of a man who would never love again. Maxson had waited years to deliver this punishment to Charon personally. He knew that Taylor had not killed Sarah and yet he beat her for Charon to feel what he had felt that day. They would never be free of it. Maxson would never believe the truth, especially when they had run so far, for so long, and the true killer was now missing. Charon kept counting silently but the voice deep inside him raged.

Kill them. They will die under your hand. Kill them all. 

“Charon…” Taylor whimpered, clutching her real arm into her chest. “It’s so cold.” She was trembling from the cold metal floor.

Charon removed his long sleeved shirt and the undershirt beneath it. He ripped the back of the undershirt about halfway down and slipped it through the grate to Taylor. 

“Put this on.” he told her gently, tugging the long-sleeved shirt back on. She got up on her elbow, gritting her teeth, and rolled the undershirt on carefully. It came down to her knees and the fabric didn’t touch her back from the way Charon had ripped it. 

“Thank you.” she whispered, lowering herself back to the floor. He took her hand in his again.

“Charon, I’m so sorry.” her voice cracked. “It’s all my fault. We’re here because of me. If I hadn’t led us back to Project Purity, Sarah would still be here, and we wouldn’t… be about to-”

“Don’t talk like that.” Charon snapped. “I won’t let that happen. We’re going to get out of here.” 

“If I was faster… if I was better…” she gasped in sorrow.

“No. Taylor, you are you. Sarah made her decision. You cannot keep blaming yourself. No matter how much we wish we could go back and change things, we just can’t. We have to accept what happened. Just like Sarah did. She didn’t regret it so what we need to do is make our chance worthwhile. We can’t let something that was out of our control shape who we are. People should know who we are and that we can help. We cannot live like this anymore.”

He felt her squeeze his hand.

“Charon, I…”

She trailed off when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. 

Two Brotherhood soldiers stood before the gate of Taylor’s cell. 

“Come with us.” they commanded. “The Elder would like a word.”

Taylor scrambled back, trying to crawl for the wall furthest away. The soldiers unlocked the door and stomped in, seizing her. 

“No!! Leave her alone!” Charon slammed himself against the bars of his cell. 

Each soldier grabbed Taylor up under the arms, careful for her cybernetic one. 

“CHARON!!” she reached out as he did and their fingers grazed before she was taken up the stairs, her crying stirring in his mind as his face sunk into his hands, waiting in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for supporting this story and sticking with me!! It's so nice to see your comments, kudos, and hits! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> I know I made Maxson into a complete psychopath (sorry Maxson fans). I think it will be interesting for Taylor and Charon to go up against the Brotherhood instead of the Institute. Stay tuned!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charon and Taylor escape the Prydwen with help from a mysterious figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexual Assault

Taylor was dragged to the outer deck of the Prydwen, where Maxson was waiting. The soldiers halted her in front of him and she steeled herself, looking upon the Elder emotionlessly as he gazed out before the brilliant rising sun. The dawn air was dizzying and cold. Taylor shivered involuntarily in Charon’s thin undershirt, holding onto her erratic cybernetic arm.

“Do you know what I love the most about the Commonwealth?” he asked her. A long scar from her blade ran down the side of his face.

She stayed silent. He began to cross over to her.

“The war for America’s independence started here. And it will end here. On the soil that thirsts for the blood of traitors.”

Taylor glared up at him.

“I’ve been thinking about you quite a bit, Clarke. You seem to hold a strong presence over your ghoul. I think he’ll break with the right push, don’t you?”

“Charon and I are not traitors.” Taylor seethed. “Sarah was our friend just as much as yours.”

“What justification can you have against the overwhelming evidence?” Maxson inquired.

“Because Charon and I have grieved Sarah’s death far beyond your understanding.” she growled. “I was honored to go into battle with her and fight by her side. We fought the good fight together and there is nothing you can do to take that away. The only reason I am standing before you today is because of Sarah. I am forever indebted from her sacrifice and now I have to live with that. Charon has to live with being a captive of the Enclave. We are tortured. We are haunted. Every day. What do you have to live with? Hm? Your unrequited feelings? ”

Maxson slapped her hard across the face. Taylor’s hair fell in front of her face as she turned her head back to him, her eye beginning to swell. 

“Do you think Sarah would be proud of you?” she sneered. “Of what you are now? Do you think she’d feel anything for your black soul? She’d never love you now.”

Maxson pulled a blade out from his coat, pressing it against her neck. 

Taylor looked straight into his eyes. He pulled her into him and she stayed rigid. 

“Maybe not.” His voice was hot in her ear. One of his hands held the knife under her chin while the other began to dip under her shirt and she shut her eyes, trying to recoil away. 

She stood completely still, feeling nothing as his hands left burning trails down her skin. This is what he wanted. He wanted her to be afraid. She wouldn’t give him that. Her eyes didn’t leave his face. 

“You’re sick.” she spat.

Suddenly, Taylor felt the knife leave her throat and rake through her hair. He gripped all her hair in one of his hands and cut the handful. Her long hair now fell just past her shoulders. Maxson held the rest of her hair for a moment before tossing it to the wind. The pieces fell down far to the earth below.

“You will return to the Commonwealth in pieces. Then your ghoul will know what pain is.”

“Elder Maxson.” a voice suddenly boomed. Paladin Danse stood before them, a disgusted look on his face. “I have a pressing matter to inform you about. Immediately.” 

Taylor looked at Danse briefly and a strange expression crossed his face as he looked back at her. Resentment? Guilt?

“Next time, you will not leave here so…fortunate.” Maxson whispered to her and she blinked slowly. Then, the two soldiers grasped her shoulders, leading her away as Maxson’s eyes burned after her. 

***

Charon sat at the gate of his cell, his fingers vining through the bars as he listened to a conversation on the deck above him. 

“What authority did he have to do that? She’s so young, Danse. She couldn’t have done this. This is not what the Brotherhood does.” a woman’s angry voice cut sharply through the darkness.

“I know. But, Callahan, he’s the Elder.” Danse tried to explain. “I don’t have the means to…” 

“That’s fucking bullshit, Danse. You do have the means. We cannot just stand idly by while he does this. She’s from a vault. Just like me. Can you honestly say that you would let Maxson do these things to me for a past mistake that he has no evidence for?”

“…No…” Danse admitted quietly.

“Then don’t act like they’re any different.” Charon heard a small set of footsteps receding. 

“Callahan… what are you going to do?” Danse asked. The footsteps stopped.

“…I don’t know.” 

The footsteps continued until Charon could no longer hear them. Heavier footsteps made an exit to the opposite side. 

Another vault-dweller? As Charon was about to ponder more, a door above him squeaked open and he saw Taylor’s small feet as she walked down the stairs, flanked by two Brotherhood soldiers. When he saw her face, he froze. 

Her right eye was swollen and bruised dark purple. Her long, beautiful hair had been cut, the ends just past her shoulders now. Fury ran like poison through Charon’s veins.

The soldiers silently put her back in her cell and left. Charon pitched onto the grate.

“Taylor,” Charon reached for her face, lightly thumbing below her eye. “What’s happened to you?”

“Nothing.” Taylor cringed away from his touch. “It’s just a scratch. I’ll be alright.”

Long ugly marks ran down her neck, along her arms, down into her shirt, and onto her thighs. 

Charon’s heart caught in his throat. Something had happened. Maxson had done something to her.

“What’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong!” Charon pleaded.

“I just need to think for a minute.” she backed up away from the grate. 

She lay down with her back to him. 

“Taylor.”

She did not reply. 

Charon began to shake the grate.

“Taylor, what did he do?”

“Drop it, Charon.” she demanded.

“No, what the fuck did he do?!” 

The grate rattled impossibly hard beneath Charon’s shaking fingers.

“I order you to fucking drop it.”

“NO, WHAT THE FUCK DID HE DO TO YOU, TAYLOR!!?”

Charon began screaming without restraint, the noise haunting throughout the entire vessel. 

Taylor clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the horrible sound.

“Stop. Please stop.” she begged him. “They’ll hear you.”

The grate trembled as Charon hauled himself up, ramming himself forcefully into the bars. the noise haunting throughout the entire vessel. His broken bones shot white hot pain up and down his leg as he ran at the bars repeatedly, trying in vain to get through them. He hurled himself onto the floor and his fingernails tore out from dragging through the metal. His vocal chords were raw and bloody as he began to sob, pounding the cold floor with his knuckles. He collapsed onto his side and lay there, watching Taylor’s broken form as tears raced across the bridge of his nasal passages.

Charon stared numbly at Taylor, for hours it seemed, until her whole body suddenly jerked.

“Taylor?” he lifted his head.

She rolled over and began to vomit on the floor. The stuff that came out of her mouth was like tar.

“Taylor!” he dragged himself the grate. 

“Charon… what’s happening to m-” She retched again, the black and sticky substance coating the metal floor of her cell. 

He reached out his hand to her and she grabbed it, squeezing as she vomited more and more of the black liquid upon the floor.

“What can I do, Taylor?!” Charon looked around for something, anything that could help her. 

Suddenly he heard a noise. His head whipped toward the cell door. A woman stood at the door with keys in her hand. Her honey blonde hair was done up in a loose bun and her eyes were electric blue.

“What’s happened?” she asked Charon. “What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know.” Charon answered, afraid.

“Hang on.” the woman told him. She unlocked the door to Taylor’s cell, running inside. She knelt and lifted Taylor in her arms, holding her up. Charon could see that the veins on the left side of Taylor’s face had turned black, extending all the way down into the skin that connected to the damaged cybernetic arm. 

“My name is Savannah Callahan. I’m going to get you both out of here.” the woman told Charon. It was her. The vault-dweller from upstairs. 

“Hold on, Taylor.” Savannah stroked Taylor’s hair back as the black vomit continued to pour out of her mouth, down her chin and shirt. Savannah took out a strange device and held out her hand to Charon through the grate. 

“Take my hand.” she said. Charon took her hand and a cool blue light washed over them. 

***

Taylor stared up into white nothing. Indistinct voices and faces weaved in and out of her field of vision. Pain seared in her stomach and her throat felt tight, constricting for air. 

A man’s face came into sight. He was shrouded in white and he frowned concernedly beneath his greying beard as he looked down at her.

“…Daddy?” Taylor tried to reach out for him but she couldn’t feel her arm.

She saw his lips stretch into a small smile before her eyelids closed.

***

“Hold still. This might hurt.” Savannah told Charon as she injected his leg with a stimpack.

Charon clenched his teeth, groaning as his broken bones returned under his skin, cracking as they fused back together. Savannah waited a few moments for his leg to set.

“Try moving it.” Savannah requested.

Charon bent his leg, dull pain surrounding his bones. He stood and walked a bit. It wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before.

“You’ve got a slight limp.” Savannah said. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Thank you for your help.”

Charon began to turn and walk away.

“Where are you going?” Savannah asked.

“I need to see Taylor.” he said, not looking back.

“She’s in the MedBay. They’re doing everything they can to help her right now. Don’t worry, she’s in good hands.” she reassured him.

Charon stopped. 

“What is this place?” he asked, looking around the vast room. It connected to a series of more rooms, like a labyrinth. Everything was clear, with precise angles and measurements, made of chrome and glass. People dressed in bright white uniforms strolled through the hall outside the room. It reminded Charon of the Citadel somehow. 

“This is the Institute. It is dedicated to the full exploration and use of technology. The vision of humanity’s future. Well, at least that’s what my son tells me.” Savannah explained.

“Your son?” Charon turned to look at her quizzically. 

“My son is the leader of this organization. He founded it.”

Charon stared at her, confused. This woman looked just a bit older than Taylor. Her son had to be just a kid still. How could a kid build all this?

“It’s a long story.” Savannah laughed wistfully, seeming to read his mind.

“Okay.” Charon left it at that. Just then, a woman in a white uniform entered, checking a clipboard. 

“Savannah, I have the reports for the-” 

The clickboard clattered to the floor.

“Dr. Li.” Charon’s eyes widened. 

“Charon.” Dr. Li’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God. Is Taylor with you? Where is she?” 

“You two know each other?” Savannah gaped.

“We met in the Capital. It’s been a long time.” Dr. Li gave him a shocked smile. Then she chuckled.

“You look terrible.” 

Charon laughed. 

“Right back at you.” It was so good to see a familiar face. Someone he knew would help them. 

“Taylor. Where’s Taylor?” Dr. Li refocused.

“She’s currently in surgery.” Savannah informed her. “Her arm was pretty busted up. The damage was affecting her internal organs.”

“What!? What’s happened?” Dr. Li cried. 

“She is stable and she is recovering.” 

Everyone turned to look at a man standing in the doorway. He smiled modestly.

“It’s a good thing you brought her to me when you did, Mother.” he looked to Savannah. 

Holy shit. This was her kid?!

“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. My name is Shaun. I am the Director of the Institute.” Shaun stepped forward and held out his hand to Charon. 

He took it hesitantly.

“Charon.”

“I know. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance all the same.” Shaun gave his hand a firm shake. Charon nodded, perplexed.

“I’m sure you’d like to see Miss Clarke.” Shaun said. “You two have a long history together, it seems.”

“Please, can you take me to her?” Charon beseeched him. 

“Yes, follow me.” Shaun turned out into the hall as Charon, Dr. Li, and Savannah followed behind him. “However, I must warn you that she is in fragile condition. Her arm sustained devastating damage but I am confident that the repairs we made will suit her needs. Her mental state is delicate at this moment and she may not be herself.”

Shaun led them to the Institute’s Medical Bay, showing them into one of the rooms. 

The bed was empty, the covers flung in all directions. Everyone began to look around for her. 

Charon tore into the room, searching frantically for Taylor. He swung around the side of the bed and there she was crouching on the floor in a hospital gown with her back to him. Electrodes stuck to her skin. He could hear her shallow breathing. She was hyperventilating. 

“Taylor.” he gingerly took her by the shoulders, spinning her around slowly. 

She was looking into the mass of bandages around her cybernetic arm with wide eyes. Charon reached out and pieced the bandages away carefully.

“Jesus Christ.” he breathed. There was no cybernetic arm anymore. In its place was a human arm, her arm. Like it had never been so cruelly removed from her. 

He took her arm in his hands. The skin was soft, pliable, and warm. Blue veins ran along the underside of the semi-translucent flesh, just like a real human limb.

“My arm.” she laughed. “My arm.”

“Yes. That is your arm.” Shaun said humorously. “We’ve reconstructed synthetic tissue from your own DNA. The cybernetic enhancement had malfunctioned, affecting your internal organs. This is our life’s work here, to make tissue, organs, bodies stronger, faster, and better. How does it feel?”

Taylor did not reply, watching in amazement as she touched each of her fingers into the middle of her palm. 

“Charon, look!” she made a fist and wiggled her fingers.

“I see.” he smiled widely. 

“Thank you.” her face crumpled in relief and she began to cry. 

“You should rest.” Shaun advised. “I must speak with Dr. Li and my mother. Take some time to heal. You’ve both been through a lot.”

The three of them left the room and Charon held Taylor close, rocking her gently. He leaned his chin against her head, inhaling the sweet, comforting scent of her hair. 

“I’m sorry, Taylor. For everything.” he told her.

“I’m sorry too, Charon. I’m sorry I’ve put you through so much.” she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. 

“It’s okay.” he lifted her and placed her gently back in the bed. “I’m so glad that you’re safe.”

“Please stay.” she patted the space next to her. He slid in next to her, gathering her up in his arms.

“Sleep now.” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He felt her nod. It was quiet for a long while until she spoke.

“Charon?” 

“Yes?”

“Can you sing me a song?” she asked quietly. “Please? I can’t sleep.”

She felt Charon sigh. Then he began to sing, so softly, so slowly, the words to a song she had long loved from their days in the Capital. She had never heard him sing before. His voice had a beautiful sadness to it and she had never known how something could sound so heartbreaking and so lovely at the same time.

“The roads are the dustiest…the winds are the gustiest  
The gates are the rustiest…the pies are the crustiest  
The songs the lustiest…the friends the trustiest  
Way back home…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me guys! xoxox 
> 
> I promise that these two are getting off the drama train for a while. I'll have more for you soon!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charon and Taylor return to the surface.

When Taylor felt well enough to walk around, she and Charon explored the facility with Shaun’s encouragement. There were so many different divisions serving many different purposes. They walked to the lobby, where there were trees, encased in protective glass. They had grown so tall, with leaves so green. The pair stopped, staring upward in awe.  
“Were trees like this in the old world?” Taylor asked, the green of her eyes reflecting the leaves.

“Mmhmm. There were a lot more of them then.” Charon sighed sadly. 

“What did they smell like?” 

Charon closed his eyes, trying to remember. 

“You know when it rains on a cool day and everything smells clean?” 

Taylor nodded.

“That’s the closest I can come to.” Charon shook his head slowly. Even when he had been able to smell the scents of trees and flowers, he knew he hadn’t done it nearly enough. His memory was a fickle thing now, either raking through his mind sharply or obscuring the few precious things that he did want to remember. Fresh pain and faded joy. 

Taylor watched wearily as what looked like a robot’s skeleton passed by. It’s yellow eyes flickered to her and she took an involuntary step back. 

“Good day, ma’am.” it regarded her politely. She gave a slight wave and it went on its way.

“What do you think they’re for?” Taylor whispered to Charon. “They’re not like Protectrons or Robo-Brains…”

“I don’t know. From what I’ve seen, they help out in the labs.” Charon replied. “But, I guess they’re harmless…”

“They’re very nice.” Taylor said, trying not to make assumptions. “They just move kinda weird.”

“I think we’ll be okay.” Charon snorted and gently ruffled her hair. It had grown out a little bit, touching between her shoulder blades. Charon’s stomach twisted at the blunt pieces that ran through his fingers. He exhaled softly, letting go of the anger.

She took his hand and gave him a soft smile. They traversed the colossal facility until they were overlooking the lobby area from high up. Cool, artificial light filtered around the room but it was the most safe that Charon had felt in a while. They sat down, peeking out through the rungs of the railing and Taylor leaned her head against Charon’s chest.

“I’m sorry I’ve got us on the run again. I know it’s just been a lot of chaos with me lately and I’m sorry…” she said grimly. He turned her head to look at him. 

“Taylor,” he said, touching his fingers to her lips, “the day I met you, I knew things would never be the same. And I’m so glad that I was right about that. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

***

Taylor landed hard on her back. 

“Damn it.” she huffed, smacking the floor with her palm. Her hair was slick with sweat.

Charon walked over to her and held out his hand to her, breathing hard.

“It’s alright, sugar. It’s just practice. Try again.” 

He lifted her to her feet and backed up. She got back into fighting stance, staring hard at him. She took a deep breath in, closing her eyes, focusing deeply. She listened to Charon’s feet shift to the left, trying to anticipate his next move. Her eyes flashed open as Charon rushed forward, barreling towards her. Taylor ran forward but just as Charon was about to reach for her she slid underneath his legs. Charon stumbled, Taylor swung her leg back in a smooth arc, knocking him onto the ground. She rapidly crawled up his body, straddling him as she flicked out her small switchblade to hover near his neck. 

“Looks like I’ve got you.” she smiled triumphantly.

“There you go. That’s how it’s done.” he smiled back proudly. 

She put away the switchblade before helping him to his feet. The door to the training facility opened behind them and Savannah walked in.

“Hey, guys. How goes the training?” she asked as she waved to them.

“Good,” Taylor beamed. “Charon helped me with some new defensive techniques.”

“Awesome!” Savannah grinned. “And the arm?”

“Perfect.” Taylor wiggled her fingers.

“I actually had a question for you both.” Savannah stated, her smile fading. “I’m headed back to the surface for a while. I was wondering if you guys felt up for it too.”

Taylor and Charon shared a glance.

“It’s completely okay if you don’t.” Savannah assured them. “I just don’t know when I’ll be back and I don’t want you guys to feel stuck here.”

“I think it would be good to get back out in the world again.” Taylor decided. They had been residing at the Institute for a few weeks and she felt a bit stir-crazy. She looked up at Charon, who nodded agreeably.

“I know it doesn’t feel safe with the Brotherhood right now but I’ve got it handled. Just lay low for a bit.” Savannah said as they walked out of the training facility.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you stick around the Brotherhood?” Taylor asked. 

“I don’t know…I’m trying to help out a friend. I think he’s in danger.” Savannah’s mouth pressed into a thin line. 

Taylor nodded but didn’t press the topic any further. 

Just then, Shaun came around the corner with Dr. Li.

“Are you going to the surface, Mother?” Shaun asked.

“Yes. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” she told him warmly.

“Well, we’re sad to see you all go. Take care of yourselves out there.” Dr. Li said. “Taylor, I’ve developed a gauntlet for you. It isn’t the enhancement that I worked on with the Brotherhood but it should get you out of some tight spots.”

Dr. Li slid a metal gauntlet over Taylor’s left arm.

“It has shield capabilities, enhanced strength, and a special feature that I’ll add on a little later. Consider it a prototype.” Dr. Li told her.

“Thank you all. For everything.” Taylor said hopefully. Charon gave them a thankful smile.

“Return any time you’d like.” Shaun told them as he handed Taylor a small chip. “This will allow you to enter the Institute from the outside. Just place it inside your Pip-Boy and you will be able to travel here.”

Taylor inserted the chip into her Pip-Boy and held out her hand to Charon and he took it. 

“Keep your Pip-Boy on. And if you need a place to lay low and sleep, go to Sanctuary Hills. I’ll meet you there.” Savannah said and she disappeared in a flash of blue light.

“Ready?” Taylor asked.

“Ready.” Charon replied. The world rushed by them in a swirl of blue.

***

They found themselves near a relay tower south of Sanctuary. They needed to scavenge supplies before heading north. They found new weapons to work with, implementing strategies that relied more on stealth. They couldn’t afford another capture. They gathered more items for their inventory. Charon made quick work of finding packs of bullets and materials they could piece together for armor. Taylor found stimpacks and stashes of caps that he never picked up on. She had a good eye, picking up odds and ends to fashion into weapons and gadgets later. She had made smoke bombs at one point on their way to the Commonwealth out of dirt, magnesium, potassium nitrate, and sugar. Sure enough, they had worked, masking her in a thick, opaque fog. She had always been resourceful like that. Creative.

BANG BANG BANG

Scabby birds flew from the black skeletons of trees. Charon stood up, scanning the skyline. A trail of dark smoke billowed over the horizon to the east. 

Taylor loaded her Magnum .44 and cocked it. 

“Let’s check it out.”

Charon nodded and took down the combat shotgun from his back. It wasn’t the one he’d had in the Capital but it’d have to do. He’d have to make improvements later. 

They sprinted silently in the direction on the smoke, using the cover of trees and abandoned cars. When they had gotten close, Charon motioned for them to stop. He laid down and crawled through the sparse grass, Taylor following suit.

The remains of a settlement smoldered, littered with corpses. Many were headless, gushing blood out of stumped throats. 

“What the hell happened here?” Taylor whispered.

“Raiders. Gotta be.” Charon whispered back. He lifted himself up slowly, his shotgun at the ready. They fanned out, stepping carefully over severed limbs and faces frozen in terror. They cleared the area with no sign of the raiders. 

Suddenly a sharp wail rang out and the two spun around, fingers on triggers. Taylor walked briskly toward the crying, then she stopped, quickly lowering her pistol. Charon walked up behind her and lowered his shotgun as well. 

“Help…”

A young woman sat on the ground, against the wall of what used to be a dwelling, hacking up blood. A large stake of wood ran through her abdomen and out of her back through the wall. The fabric of her shirt around the wood darkened as she struggled to breathe. Taylor knelt down and clasped the woman’s hand in hers.

“We’re going to get you out of here.” she said, preparing to remove the stake.

“No…not me…please… promise…my baby…” the woman tried to say.

“What?” Taylor bent closer to try to hear her.

“My baby…promise me…” the woman pointed to a bundle of blankets, the source of the noise.

Taylor looked at the blankets and then at Charon. Charon glanced back uneasily. 

When she looked back at the woman, only blank eyes stared back. Taylor closed the woman’s eyes and brushed her bloody hair back from her face. She said words inside her heart for the woman for a few moments. Then, she moved to the bundle of blankets, removing one covering the squirming, crying shape. 

The baby opened her scrunched up, tearful eyes and focused on Taylor. They were the color of honey. 

Taylor held out her index finger to the baby. The baby’s pudgy fist closed around Taylor’s finger. Taylor smiled. Charon knelt down carefully beside Taylor, watching the baby in wonder. 

The baby reached both of her hands for Charon when her eyes landed on him. 

“We can’t just leave her here.” Taylor said seriously.

“No, we can’t.” Charon agreed. Taylor lifted the baby into her arms and he grabbed the blankets. They looked back at the woman and the burning settlement solemnly before turning and heading north.

They followed the marker on Taylor’s Pip-Boy just a few miles out from Sanctuary. The baby was remarkably quiet, staring contentedly at the Wasteland passing by. Taylor held her close, talking to her about their perilous adventures from the Capitol to the Commonwealth. 

“You are absolutely precious!” Taylor exclaimed. The baby mimicked her bright smile, patting her hands against Taylor’s dimples. Charon’s mouth curved up at the edges. It was nice to see her so happy. He knew that she loved children, remembering how much she had been in her element in Little Lamplight. She had a special way with them. 

“Charon, isn’t she just a doll?” Taylor gushed. He looked at the baby over Taylor’s shoulder. She had dark, curly hair, a lot for her age. She couldn’t have been more than a year old. Her small mouth stretched in joy, a few small teeth poking out as she opened and closed her fists at Charon. 

Charon’s eyes softened.

“She needs a name.” Taylor quipped.

“What did you have in mind?” he asked. 

“I don’t know.” she realized.

No one spoke for a long while. 

“I’ve always like Rosalind.” Charon said quietly.

It was a name he had chosen a long time ago, when he was human. He was to name a girl and his wife was to name a boy. Long had he since buried the name and the gift of children along with it.

“Rosalind… I like that.” Taylor beamed. 

“So,” Charon grinned, “I guess this makes us parents now?”

“I guess so.” Taylor said delightedly, holding out Rosalind to him. “Now you’re really stuck with me.”

“Oh, no!” he cried in false dismay, lifting the baby into his arms. “Anything but that! Rosie, save me!”

Rosalind clapped her little hands together and Taylor’s musical laughter returned to Charon’s ears. God, how he had missed the sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Than you all so much for reading this story! I'm having a great time with it and you all are just wonderful! Thank you for all the love and support!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor and Charon arrive at Sanctuary Hills.

Stars began to wink in the gradient sunset sky as they crossed over the small bridge that led to Sanctuary Hills. A crowd was waiting for them, some familiar faces and some they’d never seen before. Savannah met them first, hugging Taylor and shaking hands with Charon.

“I’m happy to see you guys again! How was the trip up here?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“Well… we got a bit side-tracked. This is Rosalind.” Taylor said, gesturing to Charon, who tilted his arms to reveal the baby, sleeping in a cocoon of blankets. 

“Oh my God…” Savannah squealed as the baby yawned in her sleep. “She’s beautiful!”

“What-! Onesy… did Groucho knock you up?!” MacCready blurted out. “‘The hell? I didn’t think you guys had gone AWOL for that long.”

Charon glared at MacCready loathingly.

“Raiders attacked her settlement.” Taylor explained. “Her mom died shortly after we got there.”

“Oh shi-shoot. That’s terrible.” MacCready apologized. 

“We are going to be her parents now.” Charon looked down at the baby tenderly. Taylor nodded, smiling at him warmly. He returned the smile fully. 

“I think I’m about to barf.” complained a woman with shaggy red hair, freckles, and an Irish accent. 

“Oh, get off your high horse, Cait.” MacCready nudged her playfuly. 

“I’ll kick yer arse, numb-nuts!” she shoved him right back. 

Piper squeezed through to hug Taylor tightly. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t stay with you guys in Goodneighbor.” she cried.

“It’s alright, Piper.” Taylor rubbed her back soothingly. “We’re okay.”

Hancock hurried over, checking to see if the two of them were hurt.

“I’ll make those bastards pay.” he vowed when he saw Charon’s limp and Taylor’s faded black eye and chopped hair. “I’m sorry… I failed you both.”

Charon shook his head. 

“No one failed anyone. Next time, we’ll be ready for them.”

“WHERE TINY HUMAN? STRONG WANT TO SEE.” a supermutant came barreling through, startling Rosalind from her nap. Taylor almost reached for her combat knife out of fear but Savannah stopped her.

“He’s friendly.” she mouthed. Taylor unwrapped her hand from the knife’s hilt.

Rosalind began to cry at the sight of the hulking, mutated creature, hiding her face in Charon’s shirt. Charon rubbed her back and hushed her gently.

“For Christ’s sake, yer scarin’ the poor kid, ye big lug.” Cait folded her arms.

“STRONG SORRY. STRONG NOT MEAN SCARE TINY HUMAN.” the supermutant bellowed in apology.

“Alright, guys. Give them some air.” Savannah scolded her companions. “They’re probably exhausted.”

The group reluctantly began to disperse but not before inviting Charon and Taylor to have dinner that night. Everyone went about their different jobs as Savannah led Charon and Taylor to a pre-war house with wooden additions and metal roofing. String lights hung from the ceiling, bathing the house in a warm, comforting glow. 

“Here, you guys can stay in this lot. There’s a crib for Rosalind down the hall.” she informed them.

“Wow, this is great!” Taylor exclaimed. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. It’s a great house.” 

Something about the way Savannah said that gave Charon the feeling that Savannah had known this settlement a lot longer than she had let on. 

“Thank you.” he told her. “We are in your debt.”

Savannah waved him off.

“That’s what friends are for. Get settled in, I’ll see you at dinner.”

Charon placed Rosalind on the kitchen floor, setting up three stray blocks for her to play with. Taylor began unpacking clothes in the dressers and food in the cupboards. After everything was put in its proper place, she set about to make something to eat for Rosalind. 

“We don’t have much in the way of baby food.” Taylor frowned. “Do you think she’d like tar berries?”

They had picked them on the way to Sanctuary from clusters of patchy bushes near the road.

“It’s worth a try.” Charon shrugged.

Taylor sat down beside Rosalind, mushing up the tarberries in her mouth and feeding the soft globs of fruit to the baby.

“Mmmm.” Taylor hummed as Rosalind ate up the berries. “Yum, yum, yum!”

Rosalind clapped her hands and Charon couldn’t help the big smile that broke across his face. 

***

After Taylor finished feeding her, Rosalind fell asleep again. Taylor lowered her gently into the crib in one of the bedrooms, brushing her knuckle against the baby’s chubby cheek. She crept out of the room and walked to the kitchen, where Charon stood talking with Savannah and patting her dog. It was a German Shepherd with a shiny coat and friendly brown eyes. 

“This guy here will watch the baby. Go on, boy!” Savannah commanded quietly. Taylor watched the dog go into Rosalind’s room and lay down next to the crib. He kept his eyes fixed on it while Rosalind slept. 

“Thanks, Savannah. He’s a really good dog. What’s his name?” Taylor asked.

“He doesn’t have one.” Savannah said regrettably. “Not yet. Got any good ideas?” 

“He reminds me of our dog from the Capital. Dogmeat.” Taylor reminisced.

“Dogmeat?” Savannah tapped her finger against her chin. “I kinda like that. I think I might have to steal it from you. Gives him character, don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.” Taylor chuckled. 

They left Rosalind to rest under Dogmeat’s watchful eye and met up with Piper, Hancock, and the rest of Savannah’s companions for dinner in the back of another fortified house across the way.

A fire crackled, sending sparks into the night sky. Hot food sizzled and popped over the fire. Piper passed them bottles of Nuka Cola and Savannah began to serve plates of radstag steaks, corn, and tatos. 

Everyone ate and conversed with one another. In addition to Piper, Hancock, MacCready, and Cait, Taylor and Charon were introduced to more of Savannah’s companions. There was Preston Garvey: the leader of a group of community freedom fighters, Nick Valentine: a rogue synth detective from Diamond City, Deacon: a spy for an underground movement for the freedom of sentient synths called the Railroad. Much like Taylor and Charon, it was evident that each of the group had their own personal demons to deal with and battles to fight. 

From time to time, Taylor noticed Savannah’s smile drop or laughter falter. Something was bothering her, Taylor knew. Every time, Savannah locked eyes with Taylor however, she put on a happy mask, like nothing was wrong. 

Preston shared his concerns for the people of the Commonwealth with the Brotherhood’s presence along with the usual threats of raiders, creatures, and supermutants. 

“At least you guys don’t have centaurs.” Taylor sipped on her Nuka cola. 

“That is one thing about the Capital that I definitely do not miss.” MacCready snapped his fingers.

Everyone else was quiet for a moment.

“’The fuck is a centaur?” Cait demanded, perplexed.

“Trust me,” Charon grimaced, “you don’t want to know.”

Everyone began to laugh at his deadpan tone while he just shrugged.

“Speak for yerself.” Cait chuckled. “There ain’t nothin’ scarier than fightin’ off three radscorpions at once.”

As everyone began comparing stories of the beasts they had fought out in the Wasteland, Savannah silently got up and walked away from the fire. Taylor followed her path, down to where she sat on the bank of the river winding around Sanctuary. 

“Vanny, what’s wrong?” Taylor asked, sitting down beside her.

Savannah’s head twisted around, startled. Her golden blonde hair whipped across her back as she turned.

“Nothing…” she sighed.

Taylor waited in silence, encouraging her to speak her mind. 

“It’s just that… someone should be here. That’s all.” Savannah said, gazing out at the reflection of the stars in the water. 

“Who?” Taylor questioned.

“Danse.”

Taylor’s face fell.

“I’m worried about him.” Savannah continued. “Maxson’s really pushing him to find you and Charon but he doesn’t feel right about the whole thing so he’s playing dumb. Trying to stall the Brotherhood. But Maxson knows I’m the one who let you guys out.”

“I’m so-” Taylor tried to apologize.

“Stop.” Savannah interrupted her. “I’m not going to let you apologize for what that monster did to you both. If that’s what the Brotherhood does, I don’t want any part of it. And neither does Danse.”

“So why doesn’t Danse leave the Brotherhood?” Taylor inquired.

“Danse’s heart lies with the Brotherhood. He can’t just leave such a big part of himself behind. He won’t do it himself so I need to get to him somehow and help him get out of there before something bad happens.”

“Anything you need help with, Vanny,” Taylor placed her hand on her friend’s arm, “we’re here to help.”

“Thank you.” Savannah smiled genuinely, squeezing Taylor’s hand. 

“C’mon.” Taylor said, standing up and helping Savannah up. “Let’s get back.”

***

“So, what do you think?” Hancock asked Charon. They stood near the back of the house while everyone else talked loudly by the fire. “I know it would mean the world to Kent. Plus, it’ll give you some incognito work to do.”

“Yeah, why the hell not?” Charon accepted. Hancock’s proposal sounded like a real fine way to utilize his particular skillset. 

“Great, here’s the new uniform.” Hancock told he handed him a paper-wrapped package. “There’s a raider group that needs to be taken care of around here so your work tomorrow will be local. ‘Might be a challenge trying to find them though.”

“Good to know.” Charon said as he took the package. “I’ll keep my eyes opened.”

Everyone returned to the fireside to say their goodnights. Then, the group went off to their separate homes.

Taylor and Charon held open the door for Dogmeat, who bounded out of the house, licking their hands before running to meet Savannah. Charon bolted the door and Taylor went to check on Rosalind, who was still sleeping soundly in her crib. 

Taylor bent down and gently kissed the baby’s cheek. Charon leaned against the doorway, watching her. Taylor straightened and walked to Charon, brushing her soft lips against his.  
“Coming to bed?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ll be right there, sugar.” he replied.

Taylor left the room and Charon crossed over to the crib. He reached down and ran his hand through Rosalind’s dark, curly hair.

“You are safe.” he told the baby. His baby. “I am here, always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading you guys! It's nice giving these two some happiness for once XD
> 
> Stay tuned for more! xoxo


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taylor and Charon adjust to life in Sanctaury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Smut Ahead

The sky was still dark when Charon awoke. He pulled Taylor closer into him, wishing he could stay in bed all morning with her. He was beginning the new job today and he was eager to start, in spite of himself. 

“Taylor.” he whispered.

“Mmm.”

“Taylor, I have to leave soon.” he pressed a kiss into her hair. “Won’t you let me say goodbye?”

“Mmmhmm.” she murmured, drunk with sleep.

He kissed her, long and deep. She shifted but did not open her eyes. He kissed down her neck, her chest, her stomach. Her lips parted as she sighed quietly. His fingers dragged her underwear down slowly, his touch so delicate and ethereal. 

He settled on his knees between her legs, taking up her ankles to rest them on his shoulders. When she felt the first touch of his tongue against her a jolt went up her body.

“Oh, Charon.” she moaned lowly.

Her eyes blinked down to his and he gave her a dark smile before wrapping his arms under her thighs and sliding his tongue against her. Her body undulated in his hands and he took his time, giving all of his devotion and love to her. Her breathing became erratic as one of his hands drifted up her body, caressing the base of her throat. Her pulse fluttered under his fingers.

The wave hit her hard, cresting unexpectedly.

“I love you!” she whimpered as she arched off the bed, her hands grasping onto his wrists. “Fuck, I love you! 

He continued, keeping his pace level and rhythm precise and then she was coming again.

“Oh- oh my- Charon, Oh god!” she contorted and writhed in absolute bliss, her body melting. 

He slowed, making sure that he had coaxed every last tremor from her before he stood, running his tongue over his teeth, savoring the taste of her. She sat up, tearing his shirt up over his shoulders. 

“Sugar, I’m gonna be late.” he laughed.

“I don’t care. Come over here.” she commanded, pulling him down on top of her. She had him out of his clothes in a matter of seconds and it was as if it were the first time they were seeing each other, touching each other.

He gently lay her on her side while he lay behind her. His arms wrapped around her and he thrust inside her. They both moaned at the feeling, moving against each other. He turned her head so he could kiss her.

“I love you.” he told her, gazing into her beautiful green eyes. “Forever.”

“And always.” she finished. Her hips twisted and turned in a new angle and Charon felt his control slip away. Searing heat combusted within his lower stomach and his teeth sank into her shoulder, muffling his scream as he came.

They lay together trying to catch their breath. His fingers brushed through her hair and she snuggled into his chest. 

“Stay.” she begged.

“I’m going to see you tonight.” he shook his head humorously as he carefully laid her down while he got up to dress. “Have some fun with Rosalind today. You won’t even know I was gone.”

“I think I’m going take her for a walk.” Taylor yawned. “I’ll miss you, I hope you have a great day.”

He bent down and kissed her tenderly, passionately, before reluctantly pulling away. He really knew how to get her hot and bothered. 

“I’ll see you tonight.” he told her, pulling on his undershorts. “Be safe.”

He went to Rosalind’s room to kiss her goodbye, walked out into the kitchen to get on his work clothes, and then he was out the door. Taylor got up and walked to Rosalind’s room to get her up and start the day. 

***

Life went on and Taylor, Charon, and Rosalind began to find their way in Sanctuary. Charon worked during the days so Taylor relaxed and focused on time for herself and Rosalind. She told her stories while they walked through the quiet neighborhood. Taylor became very well acquainted with Sanctuary’s residents, always excited to make a new friend. The group came to love her, Charon, and Rosalind as one of their own. They especially relished Rosalind’s presence as there weren’t many young children in the Wasteland. Even Cait, who was adamant about kids being “whiny little brats” was often found playing with Rosalind. Taylor would smile knowingly at Cait, whose cheeks burned pink.

“It’s not that I like her or nothin’, she just looked bored stiff while you were pickin’ flowers.”

Nick Valentine came around quite often, absolutely fascinated with Rosalind. Taylor could tell that he had a soft spot for kids and when she placed the child in his lap to hold, she swore she saw a coolant tear slip from his eye. Rosalind had a special place for him as well, because of his great storytelling prowess. Valentine would begin to recite the Odyssey and Rosalind would stop every activity, her eyes growing huge. Something about the way he told that story had her completely captured and Taylor often couldn’t help listening as well. Valentine had the best stories to tell.  
Hancock loved Rosalind as if she were family, just like Taylor and Charon were to him. He tickle and laugh with her, making absurd faces to gauge her reactions. While Taylor helped out with farming, she would look over to where Hancock lay next to Rosalind in the yard. He’d place his tricorn hat on Rosalind’s head and it was so big that she could live in it. Then, she take the hat in her hand and wave it about excitedly. 

“You’re gonna be a true patriot when you grow up, gumdrop.” Hancock would smirk. “Uncle Hancock knows it!”

Taylor helped Piper with stories for her newspaper, sitting and chatting with her while Rosalind played. She’d run small errands for Preston and the Minutemen, always eager to help. Curie, the resident scientist with a pixie cut and French accent, made it clear to Taylor that she was always available to watch Rosalind when conditions weren’t safe. Taylor never had to worry about being lonely here in Sanctuary, Savannah had set up a close-knit community, a family from all walks of life. 

Charon returned home every night, sometimes on the early side and sometimes on the late side, excited to be with his girls again. He really couldn’t complain: the job paid well so that Taylor and Rosalind were well provided for and he actually enjoyed doing it. Simple mercenary work for a just cause.

At the end of the week, as the evening began to grow chilly, Charon sat on the kitchen floor with Rosalind while Taylor stirred a simmering pot of radstag stew. 

“Rosie, who’s that?” he pointed at Taylor. “Can you tell me who that is?”

Rosalind turned her head up to look at Taylor then back at him.

“Mma.” she told him, matter-of-factly.

“Excellent, that’s right!” he praised, handing her some mutfruit he’d chewed up for her. Then he gestured to himself.

“What’s my name? Do you know my name, Rosie?”

Rosalind patted the fabric of her dress, mimicking Charon.  
“Ahhh da!” she exclaimed. 

“You are one smart cookie.” Taylor told Rosalind as Charon fed her some more.

Suddenly, the door to their home swung open and Savannah stood in the doorway, an intense look on her face. Taylor opened her mouth to speak but Savannah held up her hand.

“Stay here.” she said, hushed. “Don’t move.”

She shut the door and walked down the the end of the street, still in their sights.

Taylor picked up Rosalind, moving out of view while Charon turned off the stove and moved to the door, pressing his back flat up against the wall next to the kitchen window.

Heavy footsteps marched up the street along with a familiar voice.

“Knight Callahan.” Danse boomed. “You must bring me Maxson’s fugitives. I cannot betray the Brotherhood this way any longer, it’s wrong.”

“No, Danse. What the Brotherhood has done is wrong.” Savannah bit back. “You cannot make me bow to Maxson. I won’t do it. What he did was unforgivable and you know that.”

Rosalind began to whine, upset by the loud voice outside. Taylor hurried with Rosalind into her room, hushing her gently.

“Move aside, Callahan.” Danse commanded dangerously.

“No.” Savannah shot back, her voice icy.

“Don’t you see? They are the enemy and they will betray you too!” Danse yelled.

“Fine, you wanna know about the fucking enemy?” Savanna roared. “Maybe if you opened your eyes you’d know that things aren’t what they seem, including yourself! I can’t believe you! You worship a man who is so willing to throw you to the dogs. The Brotherhood prides itself on service and honor. You think Maxson was doing everyone a service by snapping Charon’s leg? You think Maxson was caning honor into Taylor’s back? You consider synths to be the enemy and Shaun showed me the charts and you’re right up there with the fucking enemy!”

It went horribly quiet.

“Danse, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to-” Savannah tried to apologize.

The paladin’s footsteps pounded in the opposite direction. 

“Danse, wait! DANSE!!” Savannah cried and ran after him, leaving Sanctuary in eerie silence.

***

The next few days were anxious for Charon and Taylor. Savannah was gone, trying to find Danse. Taylor kept her Pip-Boy messaging system open, hoping to hear anything from her friend. On the third day away from Sactuary, Savannah’s relieved voice came through on Taylor’s Pip-Boy.

“I’ve found him. He’s really upset but he’s agreed to come back to Sanctuary. We are at Listening Post Bravo. I’m gonna need some help. Thanks, guys. See you soon.”

Taylor exhaled, relaxed. Charon gathered up their gear while she took Rosalind to Curie. She couldn’t be too careful, the mission could be dangerous. Curie had an array of toys already spread out for Rosalind to play with. 

“I can’t thank you enough, Curie.” Taylor hugged her. “We’ll be back tonight.”

“Do not worry Madame Clarke, Rosalind will have a wonderful time.” Curie beamed. “I have plenty of toys and nice treats to eat. Please you and Monsieur Charon be safe on your journey, yes?”

“Yes. Use the radio to contact me on the Pip-Boy if you have any problems. I’ll have the frequency on.” Taylor informed. 

“I’ll miss you, Rosie. We’ll be back soon.” She kissed Rosalind on the cheek. Charon opened the door with their gear. 

“Bye, Rosie. Be good.” he said, kissing Rosalind’s hair. They left Rosalind to play and headed for the road to Listening Post Bravo.

“Please be safe!” Curie called after them. 

They reluctantly left the safety of Sanctuary with their safeties off and their pace quick. They raced through the rolling terrain, following their path. Taylor’s Pip-Boy pinged. A message displayed on the screen from Savannah:

Trouble. Need backup, ASAP. 

Taylor and Charon ran faster, keeping their footsteps quiet. They could imagine the source of the trouble. They closed in on Listening Post Bravo and stopped, crouching when they heard the voice.

“Callahan, you are the worst of them all.” Maxson declared menacingly, “Not only have you released dangerous criminals into the Wasteland, you have kept a synth alive. Now, you will die with the traitor you have harbored.”

Maxson raised his laser pistol, preparing to execute her as she stood in front of Danse protectively. Then, he felt the barrel of a pistol touch the back of his head.

“Drop the gun and get down on the ground.” Taylor hissed. 

“Clarke.” Maxson dropped his weapon but tried to turn around. 

Taylor pressed her .44 Magnum into the back of his skull, cocking the hammer.

“GET DOWN ON THE FUCKING GROUND!!” she roared. Maxson dropped onto one knee, then the other. Charon kicked the pistol to Taylor, emerging into Maxson’s line of vision, lowering his shotgun between the Elder’s eyes, breathing hard. 

“You must be pleased with yourselves.” Maxson scoffed. “Holding an innocent Brotherhood commander at ransom once more.”

“Shut your fucking mouth.” 

Charon’s trigger finger itched. He wanted to splatter him as he did with Ahzrukhal for all the pain he had caused. The more he looked into Maxson’s eyes, the more he wanted to see death extinguish them. 

The rumble of vertibirds filled the sky as they approached from a distance.

“We need to go.” Savannah told them. Danse looked to the sky anxiously. 

They made sure Maxson was without weapons and cuffed before they turned to retreat.

“Well, Clarke, this may be the last time we meet on civil terms.” Maxson called after her. “But at least I was able to give you a man’s touch before your execution. I will always remember the feeling of you.”

Taylor stiffened and something inside Charon that he had worked so hard to control snapped. He sprinted at Maxson, shoving him onto the ground and thrashing his fists into the Elder’s face.

Maxson laughed, the sound gurgling disturbingly from his nose and throat. Charon hit him so hard and so fast that the muscle on his knuckles began to peel and go raw. Maxson’s flesh swelled and blackened as Charon unleashed the anguish he had held inside for far too long.

“Perhaps this will be some comfort to you at night.” Maxson smiled. Then his eyes flickered to Taylor. “Perhaps not.”

Charon’s hands clamped around Maxson’s throat as the vertibirds drew nearer, determined to seize the filthy soul that made this man walk, talk, and breathe. He wanted to erase his very existence so that Taylor could heal from the wounds he had so cruelly inflicted upon her. He wanted the worms to crawl up and devour Maxson, strip away the power this man held until he was nothing but rotting bones. He wanted to crack the bones so they splintered and Maxson’s pieces were fragmented and impossible to put back together. He pressed down harder and harder on Maxson’s throat, feeling the Elder’s pulse scream for life.

It took Taylor, Savannah, and Danse to pull Charon off of Maxson. Taylor grabbed Charon’s hand and she ran as fast as she could, looking ahead as Charon looked back at Maxson.

“When I find you again,” Maxson yelled after them, “I’m going to make you watch, ghoul. I’m going to make your world burn a second time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and for your support!! I'll have more soon! xoxox


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives back in Sanctuary. Taylor learns about Charon's profession.

The four ran, ducking under the cover of ruins and debris to conceal themselves from the hovering vertibirds. They waited until the droning had receded from the sky to crawl back out. 

Danse stomped briskly ahead of everyone while Charon hung back. No one spoke and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Charon stopped walking.

“Why… why, Taylor?” Charon asked quietly. Taylor turned and went to him. His head hung low so she couldn’t see his face.

“Charon, we need to keep moving.” Taylor urged. Savannah and Danse halted, looking back at the pair.

“Why didn’t you let me kill him?” Charon lifted his face, tears of regret streaking down from his ice blue eyes. “I could’ve done it so easily, to save you. Why didn’t you let me rid ourselves of him? After what he has done to us?”

“Charon, if we had stayed, we would have been captured again. I will not allow that to happen again. We didn’t have the time. He would’ve caught us.”

Charon shook his head. 

“No…no… I could’ve…”  
Taylor wrapped her arms around him and he ducked his face into her shoulder. 

“It’s alright, Charon.” she whispered. “I swear that you and I will get him but we cannot be taken prisoner again. We need to be there for Rosie. For our family.

“I er- know that you’ve both been through a lot but perhaps you could not show that sort of display? It is quite offensive.” Danse interrupted.

“Danse!” Savannah admonished.

Charon’s head snapped up from Taylor’s shoulder and he wiped the tears from his face roughly, gingerly removing Taylor’s arms from around his waist.

“You’re gonna wish you hadn’t fucking said that.” Charon snarled, baring his teeth at Danse. 

He stalked toward Danse as the paladin raised his fists. Savannah crossed into Danse’s path, holding out her arms while Taylor leapt in front of Charon’s.

“Danse, enough.” Savannah pushed him back firmly on the chest. “You are in no position to lose more allies.”

“Stop, Charon. This won’t solve anything.” Taylor pleaded. “We all need to work together.”

Danse’s jaw set but he took a step back and listened to Savannah, realizing the truth to her words. Charon’s expression softened and he straightened up, determined not to let his anger get the best of him. 

“We are extremely vulnerable right now and if we are not careful, we could end up putting more people in danger.” Savannah explained. “We need to get back to Sanctuary and gather our forces. If I know Maxson, he’s about to wage war.” 

“You’re right.” Danse agreed. “He won’t stop until he has you both again. And now Savannah and I are also on his list.”

“Good.” Taylor scoffed, walking ahead of him. “Let’s show him a good time then.”

 

They got back to Sanctuary at nightfall. The companions and residents of the settlement welcomed back Savannah, Taylor, and Charon but turned suspicious eyes and cold shoulders to Danse. 

“Bloody great.” Cait stomped out her cigarette angrily. “Now you’ve led the Brotherhood right to our goddamn’d door step?”

“Savannah, was bringing a Brotherhood paladin here really the best idea?” MacCready asked impatiently. 

Taylor looked over at Danse, the hurt clear upon his face. 

“Alright guys, enough. We need to rest up. We all need to have clear heads tomorrow. We’re gonna be gathering all the soldiers we can muster, Maxson isn’t gonna make it easy on us. Get some sleep people. We begin at five AM sharp.” 

The crowd began to disperse. Charon and Taylor retrieved Rosalind from Curie. 

“I am so happy you are both safe. Rosalind was a pleasure to watch!” Curie gushed. “Please do not hesitate to bring her over if ze conditions are unsafe.

“We will, Curie. Thank you.” Taylor hugged her and Charon carefully took the sleeping baby into his arms. 

They walked back to their home and passed Danse and Savannah. Danse looked up unemotionally but Taylor felt pity in her heart for him. She gave him a small smile but he did not return it. Charon glared at him as he passed. Danse looked at the child in his arms in confusion and then at him in disgust. 

They returned home and Taylor placed Rosalind in her crib. They both kissed the child goodnight and went to their room. Taylor fell upon the bed, physically and emotionally drained. She could tell that Charon was nervous, pacing about, fingers twitching. 

“Charon, what’s wrong?” she sat up and watched him, concerned.

“I am afraid.” he stated truthfully.

“Me too.” she said. “Please, come lay down.”

Charon paused, taking a deep breath in. He slunk down beside her, feeling the soft skin of her shoulders underneath his ragged fingertips. 

“I’m finishing my last assignment tomorrow.” he told her. “Then, I will be here. And we shall end this together.”

Taylor raised her face and looked at Charon. She wasn’t about to lose this war. As much as Maxson wouldn’t rest, neither would she. 

“Maxson won’t see us coming.” 

 

Taylor spent the night scraping up new parts for armor. She worked late into the night, testing and trying out the different parts. She needed to be ready for the Brotherhood’s assault. They had numbers and advanced military technology but the Commonwealth’s forces knew the lay of the land and had their courage. She knew how to end the war: take out Maxson and the Brotherhood would be on its knees. 

The next day, when she awoke early, feeding Rosalind wild carrots, boiled and mashed. While the child played with her blocks, Taylor got back to work on her projects, improving the features of her gauntlet with a small screwdriver. She sighed, rubbing her left arm absentmindedly. It was strange to have it back after she had lost it. Years went by and she learned how to live with the cybernetic prosthetic, however, the arm always felt cool where it connected with her skin. Now there was no difference. It was as if she’d never lost it. Sometimes she would awake at night, the flash of the grenade blinding her, the phantom sluice of blood hot on her skin. She would feel the disconnect before the connect before returning into sleeps arms. Her dreams were plagued by the contorted masks of Enclave soldiers, Colonel Autumn’s cold smile, and now Maxson’s hands crawling on her skin. After the war was over, Taylor wondered how they would get back to real life. If there was any life to get back to. 

 

She glanced over the cabinets, low on food for Rosie. She decided to go for a walk with her to gather more tarberries, carrots, and tatos in the area. 

“Sure you don’t need an escort?” Valentine tipped his hat to Taylor as she carried Rosie on her way out of Sanctuary. It was twilight, the air warm and pleasant. 

“Thanks, Valentine. But we’ll be right outside the settlement gates. We won’t be long.” she smiled.

“Alright then, give a holler if you need anything.” Valentine waved. 

She carried Rosie on her hip, bending to collect bunches of wild vegetables, quietly singing a song she’d heard on Diamond City Radio recently to herself and Rosie, unknowingly drifting further and further from Sanctuary. 

“Got a doll baby, I love her so  
Nothing else like her anywhere you go…”

Another voice joined hers, eerily, and she stopped cold in her tracks.

“Man she's anything but calm  
A regular pint-sized atom bomb.”

A group of grisly raiders stood behind her, tapping their bloody bats against the ground. Taylor instinctively reached for the katana on her back, the guns at her belt, but she had left them back at Sanctuary. Fuck.

The raider leader, with a greasy Mohawk and a smile riddled with rotten teeth stepped closer. 

“Well, well, well, boys, look what we have here. You shouldn’t be out here on your own, baby doll. Something could happen to you. Something really… really bad.” 

He lingered on the last word.   
Taylor stood her ground, clutching Rosalind to her chest as she began to cry. 

“Hey, Hack,” one of the raiders quipped. “Isn’t that the baby from the settlement a few days back?”

Hack grinned. 

“I don’t recall no baby.” he said. “But we can take care of that now, can’t we, baby doll.”

The raiders began to lift their bats and inch towards Taylor. She backed up as they came at her. Hack unsheathed a large rusty knife. 

“I’m gonna make you squeal, baby doll.” 

Taylor looked for a way around them, a weapon, anything. There was nothing. Fear began to creep in her stomach. 

Suddenly a cloaked figure leapt down from the tree directly behind her, rising slowly to its feet, towering in front of her. It was facing the raiders and she couldn’t make out who it was. They wore a long grey coat and a fedora. 

Hack hesitated for but a moment, barely having time to react as his throat was violently slit open, spurting blood onto the other raiders. 

“Death has come for you,” the figure’s distorted voice spoke. “and I am its Shroud.” 

In a flurry of blood, limbs, and brains, the raiders were torn apart by the figure’s high-powered machine gun. Taylor covered Rosalin’s ears, blocking out the roar of the gun. 

When what was left of the raiders littered the ground, the figure turned. It wore a bandana with a skull painted on it. She knew that bandana.

“Charon?”

“Hey, sugar.” Charon pulled the bandana down and pushed the brim of his dark fedora up, smiling. “Sorry I’m late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the late update. I started a new job and have been going through some changes in life. Haven't gotten the inspiration to write in a while. Hope you enjoy xoxox


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group settles elsewhere.

Sanctuary prepared for war. Preston gathered the Minutemen, Savannah received synth troops, and Danse was able to get through to a few trustworthy Brotherhood stragglers. Charon and Taylor trained alongside their forces, teaching them to fight and practicing themselves. They had to be prepared for anything. Time passed and they scouted to Brotherhood territories across the Commonwealth each day where Maxson’s forces prepared. They knew whatever Maxson had planned would be catastrophic for themselves, their friends, and the Commonwealth. They overheard a group of Brotherhood soldier stationed at the Boston airport that vertibirds would be sent out for reconnaissance in all directions, on Maxson’s orders, to capture the traitors.

As soon as Taylor and Charon returned to Sanctuary, they told the settlement of what they’d heard.

“It’s not safe here anymore,” Taylor said grimly. “We need to move. Sanctuary is going to be destroyed if we stay.” 

Murmurs came from the settlers.

“Well, where is the blue bloody hell are we supposed to get on to?” Cait tapped her foot impatiently. 

“No, Taylor’s right,” Preston said in agreement. “Sanctuary was a safe place for a time but it’s no fortress. I think retaking the Castle might be the best option for the time being. It used to be the Minutemen HQ, way before my time. We need a place to strategize and feel safe.”

A strange expression crossed Savannah’s face.

“Let’s get moving, then,” she said quietly. Charon felt sorry for Savannah. She had lived here, before the war, just as he had in New York over two hundred years ago. 

And all over again, he was back in the melting, distorted metropolis, on his knees before the crumbled remains of the tower that housed his apartment. The flesh tore away from his fingers as he removed brick after brick after brick. Then, he found her. He gagged from the smell, from the very image of what was left. Her once porcelain flesh was black and swollen where it remained. The rest, around her face, her chest, her round stomach, was torn away, splattered in chunks on the bricks around her. Her mouth was open, too wide, screaming, and the white blond of her hair pressed into dust through his bloody fingers. He screamed into the red sky. 

“Charon?”

Taylor’s concerned voice tugged him out of the memory and his ice blue eyes flickered to her green ones. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, touching his arm gently.

“Yes. It’s just… difficult to leave home again,” he said, his brow furrowed.

Her fingers intertwined with his.

“As long as we are together, we are home,” she told him and nothing had ever made more sense to him. 

***

When the sun went down that day, the settlers of Sanctuary gathered everything they could carry on their backs and began to cross over the wooden bridge that led to the Commonwealth. They took one last look at the home they had built together. A silent tear rolled down Savannah’s cheek. A cold, heavy weight touched her shoulder and she turned. Danse looked down at her solemnly. Savannah gave him a hopeful smile and patted the armor of his hand before turning away to walk beside him. 

Under the cover of night, the group talked quietly as they moved through the landscape. They walked in two lines, watching either side with their weapons ready. But all was calm with the exception of a few wild mongrels and radroaches. As they walked, Taylor gave Charon a playful nudge.

“So, you’re the great Silver Shroud, huh?”

Charon nodded, grinning. Kent Connelly, a kind ghoul from Goodneighbor had spoken with him a few months back about the Shroud. He had listened to the Silver Shroud radio broadcasts as a boy past his bedtime. He loved the daring rescues, the thrilling pursuits, and the justice that was brought to the evildoers each episode so when Kent gave him the mantle to clean up crime around the Commonwealth, Charon was more than a little shocked. His childhood love for the Shroud had evolved into something more, a strong determination to bring criminals to justice and peace to the innocent. 

Taylor beamed at him proudly. He was back in his grey long sleeved shirt and black jeans again but, man, did that dark vigilante persona and trench coat fit him well. 

“You’re a perfect Silver Shroud. Tall, dark, mysterious, handsome… you must be a real hit with the ladies,” she winked humorously.

“Just one.” he said lowly as he looked at her, his smile arching sideways, seductively. Her heart fluttered and she blushed, hiding behind her hair. It had grown longer now, Charon noticed. 

He looked upon Taylor’s back tenderly, where Rosalind slept. Taylor had fashioned a clever invention and called it a “baby backpack”. She used mesh and scrapped armor parts to make a protected sling for her to ride in as they traveled. The inner parts were cushioned with stuffing from an old mattress so the child was able to sleep comfortably on long voyages such as this one. 

The moon rose over the group as they walked, bathing them in a dim light. Taylor silently watched Savannah talk with Danse. Every once in a while, Savannah would lean over to him and touch the metal plates on his arm and whisper something to him. Taylor couldn’t make it out with sound but she could decipher the familiar phrasing that crossed Savanna’s lips.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

Taylor could see the truth plainly with the two of them. They needed each other, two aching souls in a world that had taken too much from them. There were not so different from Charon and herself. They could find happiness again just as they did, through each other. When the war was over, she hoped they would see that. 

They walked for a few hours in the cool night air and finally stopped on a hillside by the beach before the impressive stone fortress. 

“There it is,” Preston exclaimed. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Well, what the bloody hell are we waiting for?” asked Cait. “Let’s get a move on!”

She bounded over the hill, running up the sandbars on the beach that led to the Castle. Her steps splashed through the shallow water that covered the sandbars. 

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and everyone stopped, almost losing their footing. Cait stumbled onto the ground as a colossal, ferocious beast clambered from the depths of Boston Harbor, looming over the Castle.

“Cait!” MacCready dashed forward, pulling her up and out of harm’s way as the creature swiped a humongous claw towards her. 

“Mirelurk Queen!” Savannah shouted. “Concentrate your fire, bring it   
down!”

Everyone leapt into action. 

Danse and Savannah moved together, bombarding the Queen with laser fire, aiming for the eyes.

Taylor prepared to move forward but Charon moved in front of her, holding his arm in front of her. 

“Get to safety!” he ordered. “Protect Rosalind!”

Charon tore forward, his zig-zagging erratic pattern confusing the Queen. He slid underneath its hind-claws, firing a barrage of bullets at its soft body. It screeched in pain.

Taylor skirted along the inside of the Castle, pressing herself as close as she could to the wall. Rosalind had begun to cry, drawing the attention of the Queen to her and Taylor. 

Taylor crouched down, trying to calm Rosalind down. Charon crossed in front of the Queen’s path to protect Taylor and Rosalind. He pulled the trigger of his shotgun but it just clicked hollowly. 

It was jammed. 

“Charon!” Taylor cried. 

The Queen whipped her claw downward, striking Charon. He rolled across the dirt, cutting his forearms on the sharp, jagged rocks embedded in it. The Queen prowled towards him, raising her claw high above her. His bad leg seared with pain as tried to get up but went right back down again.

Suddenly, a great force yanked him back, pulling him out of the Queen’s grasp.

Charon looked up as Danse dragged him to his feet. Savannah distracted the Queen, running around her feet, firing at her delicate ligaments in her lower claws. 

“Can you stand?” Danse asked.

Charon nodded and got settled on his feet. 

“Thank you,” he tipped his head to Danse in recognition and respect.

Danse gestured back, then returned to Savannah’s side, rushing into the creature’s legs in full Power Armor. Bullets whizzed from every direction, piercing the Queen’s soft body and face. Her legs gave out from under her and the hulking beast collapsed, sending sand billowing up around her. 

The group cheered and whooped, relieved to be rid of the threat. 

Taylor ran to Charon and hugged him tightly. He kissed her forehead and took Rosalind from Taylor’s back, calming her. 

“So… who wants an all-you-can-eat Mirelurk buffet?” Deacon pulled his dark sunglasses down the bridge of his nose as his eyes twinkled. The hungry crowd responded enthusiastically.

“Here, here!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, thank you so much for your love and support for this story and for sticking with me. Thank you for all your great ideas as well, I have so much writing these adventures. Thanks for everything, you guys are amazing!! xoxoxo Enjoy


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battle for the Commonwealth begins.

The group had enough mirelurk to eat for days and set to work preparing their new home. Preston and the Minutemen set up artillery and battle fortifications on the outside of the base. Danse and the few Brotherhood soldiers set up a training ground in the base’s courtyard. Savannah and her synth troops created relay lines with other settlements and the Institute to be sure they wouldn’t be caught unprepared and to help other groups. Time passed as they trained and readied themselves for the war they knew would soon come. Taylor’s hair grew to its normal length once more and Rosalind began to talk and walk. 

More and more people began to show up at the Castle, eager to help after hearing a message that Preston put out over the airwaves. They were gratefully accepted and Savannah added them to the settlement’s roster for food, living quarters, and training.

Ronnie Shaw came with more volunteers for the Minutemen, Danse came forward with new Brotherhood, and Deacon rounded up the agents of the Railroad. Morale spiked among the settlers as they prepared for the inevitable darkness they would face. Against all odds, Charon and Dane actually seemed to get along, sharing battle strategies and breaking down weapons and Power Armor together. 

It came time for the rebels to strike, while the Brotherhood was still disjointed, Taylor had told the group. Maxson had lost numbers and that was enough for her. They needed to strike fast and hard: sever the snake’s head from its body. Without Maxson, the Brotherhood would fall under Danse’s command, if they were ever Brotherhood at all. Either that or they would be destroyed with their twisted leader. Either way, Taylor didn’t care but they would fall tonight.

Once they had prepared, loaded their weapons, grenades, and stimpacks and left Rosalind in Curie’s safe care, Taylor and Charon along with Savannah, and Danse led the rebels to Boston airport, carefully skirting around the Harbor. 

It was very late at night, only two Power-armored soldiers stood outside the gates with many of the rest having retreated from the cold, doing inventory inside, or in their cots, asleep. Unaware.

They lay on their stomach in the mud and grass, stinking of the Harbor. Taylor and Savannah split from Charon and Danse, taking a group around while they went straight for the guards in front. 

Before they advanced, Charon closed his eyes, trying to commit Taylor’s face to memory, the way her lips formed the words, just in case he wouldn’t get the chance to again.

 

Vertibirds flew low and artillery rained onto the airport. Charon ripped forward, narrowly sliding away from a loose grenade. His eyes scanned the battlescape for Taylor, unable to locate her. He rammed his full body weight into a Brotherhood Knight, wasting no time blasting open the weaker armor plates covering his stomach.

Charon straightened and a glint caught his eye from across the airport. 

Maxson stepped down from a grounded Vertibird, flanked by two Brotherhood Paladins. He had on a suit of heavily modded black Power Armor and carried a gatling laser. Maxson surveyed the battlefield as Charon slipped behind a cement roadblock, keeping himself as low to the ground as possible.

“Find the girl and her ghoul,” Maxson commanded. “I want them both alive. Kill the others.”

Charon ground his teeth tight. Enough was enough. He needed to end Maxson now, once and for all.

He took down his shotgun and bolted upright, pointing the barrel of his shotgun at the Elder. The paladins directed their weapons right back at him.

Maxson held up his hand, signaling his men to lower their weapons.

“Ah, and here I was thinking that I’d find Clarke out here, alone and afraid,” he smirked.

“Not while I’m still breathing.” Charon hissed.

“We’ll see how long that stands.”

Maxson charged forward, the suit enhancing his speed and agility, his footfalls indenting the concrete. He aimed the gatling laser at Charon as he ran and Charon took wild turns, evading the barrage of laser fire. He pulled the trigger indefinitely, emptying the chamber of shells. Maxson’s armor deflected almost each one of the shots, the few that landed only staggered him for a moment. 

Charon held his ground, trying his best to reload as he backed up, but at once, Maxson was upon him. He swung the gatling laser, hitting Charon square in the ribs. 

Charon could feel his bones chip and splinter as he was thrown back into the wall of the airport facility. He tumbled brutally, the wind knocked out of him as he slammed into the hard wall. He blinked, trying to get his bearings again, blood gushing from his nasal passages. 

Maxson strolled over, a horrible grin splitting his face as he planted his foot down onto Charon’s broken ribs.

Charon gasped sharply, pushing hard at Maxson’s armored foot. The Elder threw down the gatling laser, cocking back his arm.

“When I’m through with you, you will not receive the luxury of death,” Maxson spat. “You will watch until I have taken every last morsel of her humanity. You will watch when I dispose of her in pieces and you will wish it were you instead. I’ll enjoy cutting that soft, sweet skin of hers.”

Charon thrashed, the points of his teeth exposed in his mask of rage.  
“No one will ever know that I disposed of Autumn’s body and you will endure the remainder of all time as what you are. Scum.”

Maxson raised his hand high above him. Charon writhed furiously, trying in vain to claw open the metal plates covering Maxson’s leg. 

Maxson swung downward but was met sharply by an armored gauntlet, sparks raining off the impact. It was her.

“This ends now.” Taylor seethed, ripped Maxson’s arm away from Charon.

“So be it.” Maxson smiled.

Taylor delivered a hard blow to the chest of Maxson’s Power Armor, making him stumble back as she tore away, running toward where Liberty Prime stood idle. 

“Taylor, catch!”

Deacon ran alongside Taylor and tossed a disk into her open hands.

“I’ll handle him, you know what to do!” Deacon unlatched a grenade and hurled it back towards Maxson. Maxson barreled through the flames and smoke toward Deacon.

Taylor nodded and propelled herself forward as fast as she could. She looked back in time to see Deacon reaching for another grenade. But he was too late. Maxson swung his arm into Deacon, knocking him out of the way.

“Go, Taylor! Go now!” Deacon cried.

Taylor reached the ladder to where Liberty Prime towered and began to climb the rungs, two at a time. Maxson growled from the bottom of the ladder, scaling up after her. 

“I’ll rip the tendons from your legs, Clarke!”

Maxson’s armored hand suddenly latched around her ankle, dragging her down two rungs. 

Taylor’s eyes flared and she slammed her foot between Maxson’s eyes.

“ARGH!!” Maxson clutched his face and fell to the bottom, landing with a hard thud. 

Taylor pulled herself up as quickly as she could, running to the back of Liberty Prime’s head. She opened the disk slot and pushed in the disk.

“C’mon, c’mon!” she implored the screen as it buffered.

“Taylor!” Charon’s voice came from below the ladder. “Get down! He’s coming!” 

Fire from his shotgun ricocheted below and she saw Maxson’s hands upon the scaffold. She looked around frantically before seeing an emergency ladder leading to the Prydwen. If she could get up there before Prime booted up…yelled.

“Taylor, what are you doing!?” Charon yelled. 

“CLARKE!!” Maxson bellowed, pounding after her as she ascended up the ladder. 

Taylor pulled herself up roughly and sprinted to the Prydwen’s forecastle, Maxson hot on her trail. She quickly looked for an escape route but found none, the forecastle was encased in glass.

“You’re cornered, Clarke.” Maxson barked as he stalked towards her, latching his fingers around her throat and lifting her from the ground.

“I’m going to make you beg for your miserable life.”

Then, Taylor saw a glint from above as glass rained down upon them. Danse landed heavily, the fires from his jetpack extinguishing slowly and his weapon raised. 

“Paladin Danse, take her into Brotherhood custody.” Maxson commanded.

“I’m no Paladin, Arthur.” Danse spat and he fired directly into Maxson’s chest, above his right lung, enough for him to drop Taylor. The hole in Maxson’s chest steamed as he fell upon his knees.”

Taylor took up her katana and drove it down through the shoulder of Maxson’s armor, pinning him to the floor. 

“Rot in hell.” she whispered to him.

“UPDATED TACTICAL ASSESSMENT. RED CHINESE PRESENCE DETECTED.” Liberty Prime declared from below. “AERIAL INCURSION BY COMMUNIST FORCES CANNOT SUCCEED. INITIATING DIRECTIVE 7395: DESTROY ALL COMMUNISTS!”

A great force shook the Prydwen as Liberty Prime fired a huge beam of energy into the airship. 

Maxson could only stare wildly after them as the Prydwen began to collapse.

“Taylor, we must leave at once!” Danse said.

Another surge of energy bombarded the deck and the two were thrown from the forecastle, hurtling toward the Harbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so sorry this is so late! I haven't had a lot of time to write but thank you all for your continued support and love. Hope you enjoy! <3


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun rises on a free Commonwealth.

Salt burned into the backs of Taylor's eyes as she heaved to the harbor's surface, choking and gasping. She tread the water, eyes wide as she watched as the behemoth Brotherhood ship submerged, a wide arc of flames spreading around the harbor. She searched for the beach, listened for voices or gunfire but it was quiet. So quiet. The beach was nowhere in sight. She swam gingerly towards a piece of the Prydwyn's interior, a slat of wood big enough for her to lift herself onto. Flames crackled and the waves rolled gently.  
Taylor gazed up at the stars, unable to fathom how many there are in the dark sky. Her father's warm smile appeared in her mind. She began to laugh.  
She laughed wild, and loud, and free, a sound that had not come from her for so long. Too long.  
She laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. She laughed at the irony of immense power falling into the hands of men who did not deserve it. She laughed at how Mother Nature had retaliated against the concept, warping the world and its creatures. She laughed at how stupid raiders looked with their janky pipe weapons, bad hair, and poor morals. She laughed because it was what she used to do. Her first giggles with her father. Laughing with Amata in the Vault. Laughing with Gob and Nova and her people in Megaton. Laughing with Charon while she learned how to swim. Laughing as she danced in the Third Rail. Laughing as she wiggled her fingers for a second time.  
She stretched her arms out to the stars.

***  
For a long while, no one said a word as they began to congregate on the beach. One by one, Minutemen and Brotherhood stood together, watching as the great steel airship slammed into the dark harbor. Geysers of water rose from the harbor from the impact and a single voice cut the darkness.

"TAYLOR!" Charon dashed down the beach, towards the water. Suddenly, he felt a spindly hand grip his arm tightly.

"Stop," Valentine's cool voice told him. "You won’t make it."

"She is out there, god damn it!" Charon twisted, trying to pry the detective's hand off. "I will not leave her again!"

"Charon..." Hancock whispered gravely. 

Savannah ran to them, panting. 

"Charon, where's Taylor?" she asked, her blue eyes wide. "Is she okay?"

Charon turned his face from the gathering crowd. It was all his fault. Again. How could he be so reckless with her after all that had happened? Letting her go up against a monster like Maxson on her own? Charon sank to his knees and began to pray, pieces of his hair hiding the tears that scalded his eyes.

Please, God. Not again. Don't take her away from me. 

"General!" Preston Garvey pointed out to sea. "There something out there!'

Savannah ran to the water, searching. It was Danse. He was floating, facedown in the shallow water. His power armor was twisted and mangled.

"Oh my God! Danse!!" Savannah gripped Danse under the arms, trying to flip him. 

"Help me!! I need your help!" she grunted, trying to lift Danse. Valentine, Hancock, Strong, and Charon rushed to her side, turning Danse onto his back. Valentine lifted a latch on the power armor and it hissed, opening. Dark bruises covered his face and a large cut bled under his hair. Savannah pulled Danse out of the armor, listening for his heartbeat. It was there, faintly strumming. 

"Come on, Danse," Savannah whispered to him, pressing down on his chest rapidly. "Come on!"

Danse convulsed, coughing out mouthfuls of salt water, breathing in air again. 

Savannah let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in.

“Oh, Danse, thank God!” she cried as she threw her arms around him.

Danse leaned weakly against her shoulder. 

“I’m sorry…” his voice was no more than a whisper.

“What’s wrong?” Savannah pulled back from him. The crowd leaned forward.

“Taylor…she…” Danse wheezed. “We… we got separated…Charon, I’m so sorry…”

Charon bit down on his bottom lip hard, walking for the shoreline. 

“Charon, wait,” Savannah begged.

“NO!” Charon snapped. 

Savannah jerked back, hurt. 

“I just… I need some time alone.” Charon stated slowly, turning and stalking for the beach again. He didn’t stop until he was where the sea and the land met. Then, he knelt.  
The scene was, apart from the atomic residue of the bombs, almost idyllic. Like the paintings hanging in the old shops of his past. He took a handful of the gritty sand in his ripped up palm, held it to his chest, and shut his eyes tight. Then, he let it fall through his fingers, feeling each grain roll from his hand and drop to the beach.  
Surely a trick of his mind, the waves seemed to carry her voice, her musical laughter.  
CHHHHAAARRRROOONNN….. CHHAAARRROONNN the voice of the ocean wooshed. He opened his eyes and looked to the horizon.  
A figure stood on the water in the distance, rising with the sun.  
It couldn’t be.  
The figure began to paddle closer and he slowly stood.  
It couldn’t be…  
“CHARON!!”  
“Taylor,” he breathed.  
She dove into the water just as he rushed into it, the water churning around him as he moved as fast he could against the resistance of the water.  
They swam toward one another.  
“YOU’RE HERE!” Charon laughed.  
He could see the white of her smile as she grew closer.  
“Yes. And I’m not going anywhere again. Not without you.”  
Finally, their fingers touched, grasping for the other in the shallows. Then their arms, their bodies, their faces.  
Charon held her, crushing her to him, never to be without her again.  
The water splashed as Savannah, Danse, Piper, Hancock, Valentine, and the rest came running to greet them.  
Savannah whooped as she ran into the cool water, elated at seeing her friends safe.  
“What’s the big idea, sunshine?” Hancock smiled, angling his tricorn hat down. “You’re late.”  
Soon, they were surrounded by their friends, with Piper kissing Taylor’s cheeks and Danse’ hand patting Charon on the back as they recounted the battles glory. But Taylor looked and Charon and Charon looked back, his mouth lifting in that sideways smile she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, everyone, for supporting this project. I've finally found some time to write and I just wanted to give my thanks to you all for the comments, kudos, love, and support. You've made this dream a reality for me and you're all an inspiration! I love you guys! <3

**Author's Note:**

> I will try to update this regularly.  
> Taking Prompts! Let me know what kind of adventures/drama you want for Taylor and Charon and I'll do my best to write it up. (I recommend reading A Light in the Dark before this piece.)


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